


Worlds Apart

by ersatzach



Series: Worlds Apart - Stobotnik [1]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Genre: Agent Stone being moody, Also Crazy Carl is in this thing, Angst, Chapter four gets a little explicit, F/M, Fluff, Injured stone, M/M, Nothing passed making out, Stobotnik, There will be some super homophobic language later on, Turns out Stone is a Tron Nerd, i am bad at tagging, in the final chapter, just be warned, more like a lot of making out, we get a little bit of making out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:49:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 50,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23021992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ersatzach/pseuds/ersatzach
Summary: Waking up in the hospital, Agent Stone realizes that Doctor Robotnik is gone. The world is convinced that he never existed in the first place. Heart broken, Stone must go try to find answers and do all he can to bring the love of his life back to earth.Prologue“So there are an infinite set of universes.”“Yes.. Theoretically” His arm, wrapped around me, bit through the chilly cold of the night, the sky lighting up around us as we sat  in the field.My gaze turned to look at him. “Even one where I never met you?”Slowly he turned to look back at me, putting his, for once,  ungloved hand on the side of my cheek. “It doesn’t take five doctorates to know that that is impossible”. Leaning forward he closed the distance between the two of us and sparks rushed through my entire body.
Relationships: Dr. Eggman | Dr. Robotnik/Agent Stone
Series: Worlds Apart - Stobotnik [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738966
Comments: 21
Kudos: 109





	1. Eyes Open

My breath hitched. The white walls refused to come into focus. My mind was unable to process what on earth was going on around me. Swirling shades, the bright light of the sun splashing against my face. The bright swatch of blue being the most prominent in my field of vision. 

Using what seemed to be the last of my strength that remained, I pushed myself up, swinging my legs over the side of the overly firm mattress. Shaking my head, I brought my left arm up to my forehead. The dull throb was beginning to lessen, but my vision still refused to focus.

I made a futile attempt to stand on my own two legs, but stumbled back against the strange plastic bed. 

Alarm. 

The blaring sound forced me to try to cover my ears, but my disorientation prevented this from happening. Shadowy white figures dashed into the room. They were after me. I panicked and raised my arms preparing to defend myself. 

“It’s okay…” 

“You are safe.” 

“You need to go-“ 

I ignored the voices. Fear raging through my veins I threw a few clumsy punches. I could feel that the ones from my dominant hand weren’t landing properly. 

“Code red. Put him down.” 

I needed to get out of here, this was not going to end well. Trying to bust through the group only had me falling backwards and slamming into the ground with force. 

“Be careful! He could-“ 

Something sharp pricked my neck. I tried to raise my left arm to investigate but nothing appeared at the side of my body, my breathing once again turned into gasps. 

“My… My...” My voice came out gravelly as though I hadn’t spoken in a long while. 

“We are sorry Agent, but you could cause further damage.” 

Instead of questioning what they were talking about, my last thought after I collapsed into a heap on the ground was simple. “My arm..” I finally managed to get out before the world swirled into a black void. 

∞

Cushioned by the luxurious sheets, my bare chest was exposed to the cool breeze of the room. The heat radiating from him was the only thing keeping me from shivering. 

I didn’t bother pulling the silk sheet over my torso as his hand was gingerly resting above my chest. His cool brown eyes searched it, looking up and down at the imperfection that stained the skin. Gently the tip of his finger traced the outline of the jagged mark. 

The sudden touch sent a rush of flutters through me, there was something about being this vulnerable with him. Something that I wasn’t quite used to. 

“Thirty three centimetres long, two centimetres thick.” A pause, his voice was like candy to listen too. Sizing up a wound that caused more than just physical pain when it was inflicted. 

The memories that came with the wound were more than the physical pain. The reason why the scar was there was a story I don’t believe I will ever be brave enough to share. I didn’t want to interrupt his train of thought, so I just turned my head leisurely. 

“The only thing that this can’t tell me is who did this to you, Alan.” 

“The past is what it is… I made peace with it a long time ago” My eyes fluttered closed and the image of his face still engraved into my memory. I don’t think that anything could take his memory from me. 

∞

The blaring in my ears finally silenced my intrusive memories. There was always something about the beat that made the entire routine almost rhythmic. I suppose that is what I liked about it so much. 

Uppercut. 

Smack.

Kick.

The bags folded with every single motion. Finally there was the dummy at the end of the long hallway. A small smirk covered my features as I grabbed the blindfold I had always set neatly folded on the table. Letting the end fall to the ground I tied it around my eyes. Perfect. 

Picking up one of the knives and running the blade along my hand feeling the sharp edge send a spike of adrenaline through my system I started the simulation. The first pad leapt out at me and instinctively I lunged for it with my palm, sending it splintering. 

The rest of the test was the same, hack and slash. Using whatever I needed to to I got to the end, dodging the dummy’s mechanical thrusts. I had my superiors program it years ago. I even tried my hand at adding a few new sequences, however unsuccessfully. Ironically, robotics was never my thing. 

Clearly, bringing this robotic opponent to its grave was not too much of a challenge, even while blindfolded. But there was something that I had not accounted for. It came as a shock when I heard the metallic clang once my fist came down. 

Not only the clang bursted me from my almost programmed routine, but the throbbing sensation that shot up like lightning through my system. I reeled back, clutching my left hand to my chest, the mechanical whirring beginning to get faster and faster. How on earth had I missed that? 

Feeling exposed without the gift of being able to use all of my senses I took my non-injured hand and pulled the blind fold from my eyes. The now dented titanium white bot stared at me with its gleaming red eye. 

“What could you possibly be doing?” I could feel his eyes baring down on me. More so than thoat of his loyal creation that was staring right at me. A slight trickle of sweat rolled down my temple. 

Swallowing the lump of saliva caught in my throat, I attempted to muster some kind of words to respond. Slowly I turned to face him, the glare beaming down on me making the anxiety worse. My previously erect posture became a slouch. I had done something wrong after all. 

“I-I-I...” I tried to get the words out but my mouth seemed to be unable to form anything of any substance. 

“Not only taking time away from your duties, but causing superficial yet critical damage to one of my prototypes.” His scalding was like boiling water, but I’d like to think there was an undertone of being impressed as well. 

Striding over to me with his hands folded over his chest, his black and red jacket trailing behind him like a glider over a bright summer day. I could only manage to look up at him in fear. I opened my mouth to speak, but subconsciously I knew that all would come out was stammering which would only aggravate him further. 

With a pause, he grabbed me by the collar of my loose fitting t-shirt and pulled me close to him. We came within a few millimetres and that made my heart skip a beat. “However, that was, dare I say.. Impressive” His eyes floated back up to the damaged bot. “Especially blindfolded.” 

“Was… That a..?” I finally managed to get some words out. I made myself look like less of an imbecile. 

“Compliment.” He huffed. “Puts a bad taste in my mouth, Stone.” 

I raised an eyebrow gently raising my arms to wrap them around his neck. “I might be able to help with that.” 

Reluctance for any kind of affection was normal for him, it was as though he were always experiencing new territory. Which I suppose in some ways he was. I wish I could give him enough of my love to make up for all of that which he has been deprived for so long. 

Slowly I closed the distance between the two of us. The kiss didn’t last long, but from the way he kissed me back I had a feeling that he enjoyed it.. “Better?” I asked. 

He used his gloved hand to shove me away and I stumbled a few steps backward, still with a slightly flirtatious grin plastered on my features. 

“You taste like cherries and sweat. Have a shower Agent, then maybe I will allow you to spend time assisting in the repairs.” His harsh words were said to be a lot less vicious than one would usually expect. I suppose it would still take a while for him to get used to the two of us… 

∞

Just beginning to flutter open from a sleep filled with dreams of the past, I take in my surroundings. This time, however, my vision snapped into focus immediately. 

The stark white walls with tacky decorating. The plastic looking side table with a small tray covered in little containers that had something a savage might consider to be food. I have had rations that taste better than whatever they dish out here. 

Standing in front of me was one of the doctors, in a crisp white jacket with a dress shirt and tie. He was probably a specialist of some sorts based on the way he was looking down at the clipboard in his hands. Slowly he flipped the paper to the other side studying it. 

“My name it's Doctor Finnic, I have been charged with your care for the next three nights. Nice to see you awake, Mister-“ 

“Agent” I managed to croak out, afterwards I cleared my throat and let my head loll to the side so that I could get a look out the window. It was lovely out, sunshine streaming in through the cracks in the closed curtains. 

“My apologies. Agent Stone,” he corrected. I didn’t bother looking back over at him. There were other things that I wished to occupy my mind with. “You gave us quite the scare when you woke up. The accident knocked you around quite a bit.” 

The fake laugh from the doctor was infuriating. No matter how hard this imposter tried he would never live up to my doctor. The one who would have threatened Finnic in one way or another. Maybe something else came up. As the words spoken from the other member in the room began to face I continued to stare outside, my thoughts wandering. 

Where are you? Would you not come to see me? How would you work without me? 

A sudden chill ran up my entire body. The room felt so much colder without him beside me.

“- It will take awhile for you to get used to the prosthetic. But the bone was shattered so badly we had no other option but to amputate.” The doctor finished as I finally snapped back to reality. 

Prosthetic? What on earth was he talking about? I tried to shake my still very foggy mind to life but it only seemed to get more muddled up. “What did you say?” I questioned, with far more aggression in my voice than I had intended. 

Doctor Finnic sighed, as though I were some kind of a child that needed a dumbed down explanation of what had happened to me. “When the trailer collapsed, one of the panels landed on your left arm.” He held up the x-ray. I could not believe my eyes. 

The bone looked like there had been some kind of explosive packed into the marrow, causing fragments to splinter off. The sight of the x-ray made me want to vomit, but I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, keeping the bile in my stomach where it belonged. 

“What are you telling me?” 

“Look down” 

I hesitated. I didn’t want to see what he wanted to show me. He had said prosthetic and amputation. It didn’t take someone long to understand what those two words meant. A cold shiver ran up my spine. 

“I know it will be scary at first, but you will have to get used to it at some point, Agent,” Finnic responded cooly. “You will be experiencing something called the ‘phantom limb’ while you are still getting used to it. The sensation of the limb still being in place when it is very much gone.” He paused for a second. “You know it is what we had to do, you were lucky that we were able to save what we could.” 

Nodding faintly, I finally let my eyes drop to my left side. The blanket covered the majority of my arm, so I couldn’t get a good look at it. If I were feeling more denial I would think that he was just trying to pull the wool over my eyes. Or tell me some kind of elaborate joke. 

Right hand trembling,I slowly leaned over and began to unveil my dominant arm. I saw the metal. Gasping and dropping the cloth, I looked away. Was this a joke? It had to be a joke. I am sure that Ivo would leap out from behind the curtain and laugh at my own gullibility. Of course after making a comment on how fake Doctor Finnic was. 

The warmth coming from the thought gave me what I needed to raise my new robotic arm. The metal was strange to see glinting in the sunlight. Letting out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, I brought my other hand to it, poking the palm. 

Cool. Cold. Yet I could swear that I still felt my old arm in its place. Where the real flesh should be. Where he held my hand, where we… The thought forced me to look back down. 

“It will take a while to get used to, and for your mind to get used to manipulating it.” Finnic paused. “Any questions?” 

_ Where Is Ivo?  _ It's not like this Doctor Finnic would know the answer to that. “Not at the moment…” I spoke it more like a question than a comment as I continued to study the new limb. Flexing the fingers one by one to see how they all moved. They seemed to be a little slower than the old hand, but I would find a way to make it work. 

“It will make taking showers a little more interesting.” The humour once again didn’t at all get through to me. 

Striding through the room and interrupting the moment was Vice Chairman Walters. The one who might actually have a few answers for me. “Hello Agent Stone, Glad to see you awake and well.” The superior that I had only seen a few times. The man who had sent us on an insane adventure to find some ‘silly little alien’. “I apologize about losing your arm, the least we could do is get a new one for you. Even if it will take some getting used to.” 

“I’ve heard that one already,” I muttered under my breath. 

“You have an incredible track record with very few sick days.” I am sure he knows why that is. “Henceforth, Agent, you may have as long as you need to recover before returning to duty.” 

Opening up the briefcase he had clutched to him he placed a file on the plastic side table, pushing aside the food that was better suited to a dumpster crawling animal. “Your placement information is in here, get some rest. You have been through a lot.” 

With that he left the room as the three words that I wish I had spoken were left unsaid. Why was I so inept at really getting to the point? Maybe Ivo was rubbing off on me more than I care to think. 

Finally Doctor Finnic looked at me with a curt nod. “I will leave you with your things. Get some rest, hopefully you should be good to go tomorrow.” He strode out of the room and I was left in silence. 

After taking far too long to make the choice to actually use my new arm, I reached over to the side table, feeling a few of the spots on my body where there must be stitches or something ripping as I stained to move.

With the file in front of me, I raised my left hand gingerly and flipped the first page open. Filing paperwork for one of my superiors was not in my original job description. 

They decided to stick me with a desk job? A spark of rage ran through me as I picked it up and threw it at the wall with all my strength, the papers fluttering around as they landed on the floor. A nurse poked her nose in through to look at me, her eyes filled with worry. I only folded my arms and sunk down into the hospital bed and she left. 

Did he not want me anymore? Was this his cruel way of tossing me aside? Was I somehow no longer good enough? One would think that with my new robotic arm that… 

My eyes stung right at the corner and I wiped them away with the cool metal. Not feeling my own skin gave me a bit of a shock. My eyes looked back down at the thing that replaced my arm. I saw the reflection of myself in it for a split second before it became blurred by the tears leaving my eyes. 

  
  



	2. Scrap Metal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The formatting is a little wonky and I haven't the patience to fix it at the moment.  
> I will also be posting new chapters once or twice a week. Wednesdays for sure and Fridays as well if I manage to get one completed and Beta'd.
> 
> Edit: Formatting fixed

“What do you mean Robotnik who?!” I snarled as I slammed the file of papers onto the desk of the man who had brought them to me. 

With a heavy sigh Walters leaned back in his chair, the squeak feeling like a pin dropping. “Exactly what I said, Agent Stone. There never has been anyone by that name, you must be-”

I let out a breath that was shaky with anger. There was no way that I was going to get answers from him. Pent up frustration once again led to a stinging sensation in the corner of my eyes. I had to turn away before I started crying right there.

“It’s a figment of your imagination Agent. Morphine can cause-“

“He wasn’t a hallucination.” I turned around to face him, my arm deciding to not stop where I wanted it to, instead knocking over a lamp which clattered to the ground. I glanced at it but shrugged it off, the last thing I am going to do is clean up this mess. 

A heavy sigh came from Walters. “You have your position, Stone, I would recommend that you get to it once you have taken leave to get used to your new appendage.” He paused for a second. “You are lucky enough to have made it out with your life.” 

A growl came from the depths of my throat. I wanted to rip his still beating heart from his chest, but I knew that would not get me the answers that I was looking for. “What happened to me?” 

One smooth motion led to him turning around the monitor screen that he had in front of him. I got a good look,. It made me reel back for a second in confusion. “You were almost incinerated.” 

The wreckage looked like some kind of apocalyptic film. The building had completely collapsed in on itself, flames blasting from the only wall that was still standing. The thing that got under my skin was the fact that I couldn’t put a finger on where the place was, it didn’t even remotely look familiar. 

“We got you out before the building fully collapsed. However, we have to believe that some other force helped you get out initially. The collapse should have landed on your chest as opposed to just your arm.” Instinctively I looked at my left arm, watching a couple of the fingers twitch. 

Immediately, self consciousness filled me and I grabbed my left hand, attempting to get it to stay still. “I… I can’t remember anything.” 

With a slight chuckle Walters turned the screen away. “Which is probably for the best. Now take some time-”

“You still haven’t answered my question.” 

“I told you already, your Doctor Ivo Robotnik never existed. I cannot help you.” 

I felt something wet fall down my cheek, and I wiped it away aggressively still with the mindset of refusing to cry in front of the superior. He knew... he knew what we were. Yet he was still willing to lie to my face. 

The thing that really set me off was the look in his blue eyes. That was one thing that had been bothering me since I had returned home from the hospital. People looking at me with that same look in their eyes when I dropped something I was holding because my hand decided to misbehave. Pity. I was sick of it. 

“Don’t look at me like I am some stupid wet puppy! You of all people know me better than that.” Drip, drip, drip. Down my cheeks without me being able to stop it. It was like a rainstick had been turned the other way and gravity was taking over. “I am not going to file paperwork, hire yourself an intern for that.” 

Finally I looked at the glass mug that he had on his desk. It was the pisswater that they called coffee in this place. From years of working as a bartender for a catering company to pay my way through college, I could say with authority that this was far from quality. I picked up the cup in my right hand and threw it at the wall with all my strength. 

“Take this as my resignation. Ivo never existed in your eyes, so neither do I. '' I turned my back on him. I could still feel the pity in his eyes looking back at me, thinking that I was being overdramatic. Wishing that I had just believed the story that it was all some hallucination. 

“Wait, Stone, Please-” He began to plead with me as I heard him stand up from his desk. I stopped in the doorway. “-Just.. Take some time to consider. You have been through a lot of trauma…” 

I pivoted around on my heel and looked at him with pure anger in my eyes. Bringing up my dominant hand I promptly told him how I felt with a single gesture. My middle finger raised, the light from the panels above illuminating the metal of the robotic hand. “There is my reconsideration.” 

Quickly I turned from the room and left without looking back. The door slowly slid shut behind me as I left his office for the last time. 

∞

My right hand struck the bag with all the force I could muster. My muscles were still tense from the healing process. The stitches had come out before I left the hospital, but I could still feel the occasional twinge of pain striking through my body every once in a while. 

For my second act of rebellion in the day, I was going against what the doctor had told me: no serious physical exercise. Little did he know that the only thing keeping me sane was the fact that I was able to take all my rage out on this literal punching bag. 

Circling around, I ducked down to dodge one of the swinging pendulums. I turned my attention back to the punching bag. Sending beat after beat on it. Over and over again.  _ There has never been anyone by that name.  _ Anger sparked again and again as those words flooded into my mind. He did exist. Those few wonderful years were not a dream. 

The pain finally forced me to stop and step away from the bag as it swung pathetically from the impact of my swings. Allowing myself a couple of breaths, I turned around and the shine of metal caught my eye. 

∞

Sitting at my desk I continued paperwork. Ivo sure ensured I had plenty of it. He wasn’t the kind of person who enjoyed writing everything down, he would much rather be in the middle of an experiment than stuck at a desk doing grunt work. 

Taking a sip from the cup of tea that I had sitting beside me, I flexed my hands to relieve the strain of writing for so long. I however wasn’t complaining, since this was the kind of work that he wanted me to do, and as long as he was happy that’s all that mattered. 

“Agent Stone.” His voice caused me to jump faintly, spilling some of the tea onto my lap. Despite my slight frustration with myself I stood up, placing the cup down. 

“Yes, Doctor?” I asked, turning to face him. He seemed to be in a fairly good mood, but even when he was explaining why someone would not amount to much he still seemed to have an almost playful expression on his face. 

“I have something to show you.” Ivo paused for a second. Hesitation filled his eyes, I saw it for a split second before it was gone. “But you have to close your eyes.” 

“What?” Confusion was running through me. How on earth could he have known? I didn’t tell him. Nor has he met any of my family. I ensured that they would not contact me today, which made many quite upset at the notion. 

“Just close your eyes.” A slight wave of anger filled his voice. 

“Okay.” I did as asked, the darkness enveloping me. How could he know? 

A brush of wind coming past alerted me to his presence. I held out my hand and very gingerly he took it. From the warmth coming from his hand I could feel he had taken his gloves off. Rare and almost out of character. 

“Is everything-”

“YES!” He stopped himself once he realized that he had raised his voice. “Just keep your eyes closed or I am firing you.” There was something strange about the aggression in his voice. There were often times where he threatened me like this. He was never serious, at least I thought so. I was never really brave enough to test that theory. 

Slowly I felt his other hand find my other one, and I could feel my cheeks beginning to heat up. I know he isn’t used to physical contact and I tried to respect that boundary. 

Letting Ivo lead me through the small hallway was strange, but he gave me directions every once and a while so I wouldn’t hurt myself. He was so gentle, caring, like the first time he asked me to dance with him. 

He twirled me around and put his hands on my shoulders. My eyes were still closed, I wanted to ensure that I kept my word in what he wanted me to do. 

“Open them,” Ivo whispered, and there was something about his tone. The way he spoke with a slight twinge of excitement. We had spent so long together that it was getting easier to pick up on his nuances. I wanted to lean back and rest my head in the crook of his shoulder, to slowly close my eyes and fall asleep listening to his heartbeat. But I’m good at following instructions. 

Fluttering open, my eyes scanned the room I had spent a lot of time in, the one place where I felt like I could fully be myself. The training ground that I had built. I had worked so hard for my physical form. I had taken martial arts since I was young, and there was no way that I was going to let it all go despite the fact that Ivo didn’t appreciate me being good at something that he wasn’t. 

There was something different about the room however, something that immediately caught my eye. 

“No…You….” I stuttered aghast. Standing in the middle of the room, replacing the previous programmable dummy was something larger. An opponent that would be worth my battle. Something that reflected the design of the other prototypes that Ivo had spent months building. I turned and looked at him. “You couldn’t.”

“I did.” There was pride in his eyes. Pride and a thrill that I had seen only a few select times. He strode over to it with excitement seething from his typical gait. “I saw your pathetic older model and decided to make a few… upgrades.” 

I found it cute that he thought that basically reinventing the entire thing was just an upgrade. I felt my cheeks heating up watching him gush over his newest creation. 

“The old model was lacking, it clearly didn’t challenge you enough. This creation will learn from you. It still needs to be christened with a name. I figured I would leave that honour to you.” Pausing for a second he turned from looking at his masterpiece and looked at me. 

His brown eyes were melting with something that I had never seen before from the doctor. He was always opposed to human emotion, despite his fascination with the Turing test. After leaving the open air between us for what anyone else would have considered longer than socially acceptable, he finally spoke. 

“Do you like it, Alan?” It was the most sheepish tone I had ever heard come from the doctor, he never appeared nervous in the slightest.

Wiping the liquid from the corners of my eyes as the smile on my face grew I approached him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him to me. I kissed him, closing my eyes and allowing the tears of joy to roll down my cheek. His arms moved to around my waist, holding me close, and then slowly he started running his hand up my back affectionately. 

The kiss deepend, my heart fluttering. I don’t think that anything really compared to the feeling of being kissed by Ivo. Then again, when you spend days daydreaming about making out with your boss it’s difficult to not have the real thing not live up to expectations. 

Once I finally pulled away and rested my forehead against his looking straight into his eyes, I took a few seconds to catch my breath. I could have stayed like this forever, with his arms around me. 

“You still haven’t given me an answer.” He was adorable when he was stuck in the world of being literal. A small chuckle left my lips. 

“I love it Ivo. Thank you… Thank you so much.” I pulled him into a hug, gripping the back of his neck. I never wanted to let him go, I wanted to keep him close to me. For fear of never getting a chance again.

The moment lingered as he finally rested his chin on the top of my head. This truly was an odd day, Ivo Robotnik showing me more than two whole seconds of affection. Maybe I was starting to rub off on him. Besides, he was speechless, which was something I had never seen before. 

“One thing.” 

“Mmmh?” He asked. 

“How on earth did you know it was my birthday?” 

∞

Hitting the bot as it attempted to dodge my movements was something that I had gotten used to over the years since Ivo had given it to me. I let out the breath I was holding as I took a few steps away from it to gather myself. Raising my fists up to protect myself, I noticed that once again my prosthetic arm was acting up. Fingers sticking up here and there instead of staying neatly curled into a fist. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I muttered under my breath. I was probably too used to robotics installed and managed by someone who actually knew what the hell he was doing. As opposed to this oaf who called himself a doctor. 

In my momentary lapse of distraction the bot charged. It smacked right into me causing me to fall backwards. Pain shot through me like electricity when I made contact with the ground. My eyes opened to see the red eyes gleaming in the facial features of the one person I have consistently hated for a good chunk of my being. The one who gave me the scar on my chest. 

A growl emanated from the back of my throat and I brushed the blood away from my nose before throwing myself up to my feet and landing a few blows on the bot. The metal clanging and the noises of rage coming from it made my anger grow further. 

_ Robotnik who? He never existed  _

Swing. Clang. Swing. Clang. Duck, spin. 

_ Come on Stone, just reconsider  _

My hand shot over to the bot, hitting my palm into the side of its face. It began to lose its balance, stumbling back a few steps. I continued to circle it, keeping my body warmed up as the sweat collected in the small of my back. 

Taking in a sharp breath I lunged forward at the bot, leaping into the air. I grabbed it around the neck with my left arm, throwing it to the ground. I let out a scream of anguish as I did so. 

Ivo existed, not only did we find each other in an impossible universe but we fell for each other in an impossible universe. Above all odds he survived when the remainder of his family didn’t. I was the one who filled that gaping hole in his heart. The hole not even his creations could fill. 

_ “Do you like it, Alan?”  _

Looking over and seeing the broken wires spitting out their electricity made me back away slowly from the bot. I had destroyed it. The noises coming from it became slow and lethargic. It was finally a worthy opponent for someone who never got the chance to train with another human. 

My training was something I almost gave up because it made him feel weak. Ivo didn’t like feeling weak, he had spent too long in his life feeling inferior and I tried to train him, but he never liked not being good at something. He gave me the opponent I wanted and I just destroyed it… 

I collapsed to my knees, shaking as tears began to snake down my cheeks. My entire body wracked with sobs as I gripped my arms to my chest. Maybe if I held myself I could prevent my heart from shattering to pieces. 

“I loved it Ivo. I love you. Please just come back to me.” I sobbed. I never even properly said goodbye. I thought he would beat that little blue rat and he would be back, flaunting his victory while we both danced to his date night playlist. 

  
  



	3. Finders Keepers

“It’s been about a week since I saw you last, Alan. Can I call you Alan?” 

_ No.  _ “Yeah, sure.” I sat in an overly soft chair that I am sure someone had been murdered in at one point or another. I only allowed a select few people to use my first name, but I was far too fatigued to let the overly friendly doctor know my true feelings. 

“How is your arm doing?” 

“It’s adequate.”  _ A disaster, how dare you call yourself an expert in robotics? Did you pay for your PhD online?  _ I am sure however that Finnic saw through my facade as there was a large dent in the side from my little brawl with the bot a couple of days ago. 

The bot that I had turned into scrap metal without Ivo here to repair it. Coming over to me, Finnic crouched down and examined my arm. “Where on earth did this dent come from? Alan, I told you not to exert yourself. Your body is still getting used to the prosthetic, and you-”

I raised my good hand to stop him. “I need some part of my old life back.” 

With a heavy sigh of reluctance, Finnic nodded. “Alright, but don’t go damaging it again. It’s costly to repair and I am sure that Walters isn’t planning on paying for it again.” He chuckled to himself. “Especially after how you left his office.” 

Leaning back further into the chair, I wished I could completely disappear. The last person I ever wanted to see again was Walters. Not because of how I acted, but rather how I might act in the future. Prosthetic arm or not, I still managed to destroy the bot. 

Dead air filling the room, Finnic cleared his throat. “Anyways, let me know if I can do anything more for you. I can’t imagine what you must be going through.” 

Letting my facade drop, I allowed myself a chuckle. It was very out of place, and prompted a strange look from the doctor wannabe. “It’s nothing.” 

Finnic’s eyebrow raised. “Dark humour?” 

“You could put it that way.” 

Shaking his head and grabbing his chair so he could sit across from me, he allowed the air to hang for a few more seconds. “No more of this strenuous physical activity, Alan.” I rolled my eyes when he turned to the monitor of the computer. “I will have to put in a referral for you to get started with physio, does this week Thursday work for you?” 

With the inability to respond without saying something snarky I just turned away and looked at one of the cheesy posters he had on the wall. They speak volumes to his character, and not in a good way. 

“I will take the silence as a yes.” His fingers were flying over the computer keys. He continued to work away as though I were not still in the room. I preferred it to the attempted friendly banter that he was trying earlier. 

Printer groaning to life, it managed to cough up the prescription. With the flick of his overly expensive looking pen his name was signed. As though it were some kind of a death certificate. With the paper held out in front of me I took it still without saying a single word. 

The silence of him typing at the computer started to eat up at me. “Can I vacate the premises? Or do you want to waste more of my time?” It was my voice, but I sounded like Ivo. 

“You must have something to do.” Finnic commented as he swirled to look back at me leaning deep into the chair as though I could somehow disappear.  _ Like He did.  _ I shake the thought from my mind quickly. No. You are not letting anyone see you cry here. They won’t take your pride from you as well. “Go on then, Alan, and take care of yourself.” 

Getting up, I bolted for the door. But I paused. “What are you writing?” 

“A prescription. You, my friend, are in some dire need of some antidepressants. It will help you get over this rough patch. Walters-”

“Walters can-” Some part of my discipline stopped me from yelling outright at him about how infuriating my superior could be. Everyone claimed to love him and yet he was cruel enough to ‘forget’ about someone as important to me as Ivo at the drop of a hat. “-Nevermind, just… You know where to send it.” 

The antibiotics that they had me on after I left the hospital were sitting at home, only a few remaining in the bottle. I didn’t have any desire to take them. If I was to die at this point I wouldn’t care. But my inability to just sit around while Ivo is somewhere out there was killing me. 

Without standing around to wait for a response, I left the room, slamming the door behind me. Spending too much time thinking about Ivo left me with tears threatening the edges of my eyes. Leaning up against the wall I closed my eyes and attempted to focus on my breathing. 

In. 

Out.

In.

Out.

There would be no going anywhere until I was calm. Any kind of emotion during situations like this left me vulnerable. Sloppy. I had learned that the hard way many times and I wasn’t intending to repeat that mistake again. 

Allowing my head to loll to the side, my vision caught sight of something leaping out at me. Red. The fire alarm. Sure, Walters ensured that everything was done efficiently, there was no doubt about that. But there still had to be some form of paperwork laying around somewhere… 

Maybe this was an emergency worthy of the red alarm. 

∞ 

Striding down the hallway, we were close enough that I could almost reach out to hold his hand, but still far enough to keep away suspicion. He had said that the nature of our relationship had to be kept from everyone else. They were still so ignorant. 

“You are daydreaming again, Agent Stone.” Ivo reprimanded me, as per usual. I snapped out of my daze, blinking a few times to try and clear my thoughts. My desperation to hold his hand in public was not more important than the need for me to do my job right now. 

“Yes, Doctor, I’m sorry.” To try to stop from becoming sheepish I opened the file that I had been given. Scanning the words I had already read about five times, I wanted to save him time by familiarizing myself with the content so I could just spew it out to him. 

Trying to ignore my surroundings as everyone in my former office gawked at me, I read over the content which I already had memorized. A large power surge was caused in the outskirts of Green Hills community. Not only that, but one so large it somehow managed to knock out power for over a million mile radius. I couldn’t believe that a quaint little town with not even a tourist attraction to its name would be able to do such a thing. This investigation was probably going to be the biggest news that the town has ever seen quite frankly. 

He stopped in the hallway and if I had been a second later to notice I would have crashed right into him. Taking a few breaths to gather myself, I didn’t even realize that he had turned around to look at me. The hallway was empty now as we approached the meeting room. There was no need for anyone to be here. Besides us. We were a little late after all. Ivo said that he wanted to be late because it’s not like they valued his time. 

“You aren’t yourself.” It sounded more like an aggressive comment than a genuine concern. Which was still in character for him, I knew he was trying. When it took me a few seconds to respond he gently took my hand, causing me to look up at him. 

“I’m sorry it’s… It’s nothing.” From the second the words left my lips, he knew I was lying. He knew me too well at this point. “Lets just-”

“From my understanding of relationship dynamics you stand to gain nothing by telling me falsehoods, Alan. Nor have I been able to come up with something that allows me to read your mind.” I was shocked for a second by the fact that he had actually used my first name in a work environment. Where other people could potentially hear, even if it felt like we were alone. 

It hurt to see the curiosity in his eyes, the way he was screaming for me to tell him the truth. It was his genuine way of trying to be supportive, and by the way that he spoke I had a feeling that he wasn’t going to let this go. Ivo tended to get fixated on one idea and once he did he had trouble letting it go. 

Letting myself sigh a bit, I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to brush him off. But the truth was the last thing that I needed to start spewing right now. “I hate hiding,” I blurted out before I had time to really process how I was going to tell him any or all of this. 

Almost appearing annoyed he turned away. “The nature of our relationship is not for public consumption, Agent Stone.” He growled. “Nor is it the business of anyone but the two of us.”

My eyes were unable to look up from the ground. If I had less pride than I do I would have started crying. Sure I was used to being reprimanded by him all the time for work related things. But this was the first real fight that we had since we first started… I guess more confessed to each other. “I am sorry, Doctor.” 

“I harbour strange, fluttery feelings for you, Alan, you know that. But I am not risking both of our jobs because of some silly little fling.” Was that what he thought this was? Something meaningless to just pass the time because we had nothing better to do? 

Anger beginning to boil, my fist balled beside my body. A fling? A fling! That’s what he thought this was, this is?! Is that all I meant to him?! I didn’t want to get into a yelling match with Ivo in the middle of the Pentagon hallway because he refused to hold my hand. 

“A fling?” I muttered under my breath finally. “Is that all I am to you?” I felt my entire body shaking with fury. It was as though he were openly admitting that he never once cared about me. That all those things he told me were all lies. 

Without a second to react I felt myself being pushed up against the wall. Looking directly into my eyes without a shred of mercy, the doctor looked at me. He didn’t say a word, but it’s not like he needed to. If I weren’t holding the file I would have pushed him away from me. 

“What? You without words? That never happens.” I snarl. Then again, I often didn’t have any filter when it came to me getting my heartbroken. Something I figured Ivo would figure out eventually in our relationship. 

“We never secured the boundaries of our relationship, naturally I assumed it was purely based on infatuation and you would grow tired of my affections.” He spoke finally. His voice was flat, but he did have hints of shock. As though he had never heard me get genuinely angry about something before. 

I paused for a few seconds, still breathing heavily. It wasn’t like him to be wrong, and even now he technically wasn’t wrong. There was always an assumption these days that even if you see someone exclusively its probably not going to last long.

My outcry of anger seemed to be a little unjustified. Guilt ran through me. “I… I would never.” 

“No, don’t speak. I’m sick of your stammering.” He took a step back from me, straightening his sleeves. “Speak again when you have a straight answer for me.” 

“I figured you would despise me showing any kind of emotion.” 

“Incorrect, Alan.” Ivo began to slide down the hallway before once again pausing and looking back at me. I followed behind him still dreading having to go into this briefing. They always went south. 

I couldn’t wait to listen to a bunch of people talk as though the two of us were not sitting in the room. Seeing the way they all looked at the doctor, it was infuriating. Romantic interest or not, they shouldn’t act like that around someone. No matter how eccentric. Maybe if they had been raised properly this wouldn’t be an issue. 

Bringing a finger to his lips, the two of us stood outside of the door, listening in on the conversation. 

“Why on earth are you bringing him in again?” One voice remarked after a coffee cup clanged on the table. 

“There must be someone else who is more qualified to take on this job.” 

“Especially if it’s a matter of national security, the last thing we need is that buffoon making a mess of an already delicate situation.” 

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t shocked to see the look of amusement on the doctors face. Ivo shook his head and looked over at me. “They don’t know what they are talking about.” He got in close to talk to me, his whisper making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. For someone who was so apprehensive to physical contact, he sure had a thing for getting close to me, leaving only centimetres between us. 

I cocked my head to the right slightly in confusion. I suppose he was right about that, they couldn’t appreciate the things that he had done for them because they were too busy trying to get over his overbearing persona. 

“Since I seem to be briefed well enough, let’s send these rabbits scrambling.” He pushed past my shoulder and walked over to the one slab of colour in the entire hallway. Anyone who went to a brick and mortar school knew what it was and how it was forbidden to touch unless of course it was a true emergency. 

Putting his hand on the tempting lever that stated pull down he looked at me dead in the eyes. “It isn’t fun if you don’t cause a little mayhem.” He smirked as he pulled it down, the lever clicking into place and the alarm blasting throughout the building. I didn’t even care that the vital information in my arms was getting damaged from the sprinkler system. 

∞ 

The lever was shockingly easy to pull. I am unsure as to why I thought it would be difficult, but I suppose when you have never done something before you build up strange expectations. 

I put my back against the wall the second the familiar alarm went off. Blaring right into my ears. I was tempted to cover them with my hands but I had things to do and if I spent any more time right in front of the pulled alarm they were going to know that I was the perpetrator. 

Ducking behind one of the alcoves, I watched as a group of finely dressed fellow agents walked out of the room holding binders over their heads to attempt to keep their clothing from getting wet. I allowed a rare smirk to cross my features. They were going to be none the wiser. 

Stepping back out into the hallway after checking to see that the coast was clear. I ran down to where the server room was, or at least where I believed that the server room was. I tried the door and noticed that it was unlocked, however as soon as I glanced upwards through the ajar door the security camera caught my eye. 

I closed my eyes and leaned against the door shutting it. However my determination kept me from giving up.  _ They are diligent, relentless.  _ He meant everything to you agent, you aren’t giving up. A new spark of determination rushed through me as the water from the sprinklers fell over my face, I mustered all the courage I could and opened the door once again. 

Luckily the camera moved, but it’s not like I had time to watch it scan the room before I could enter. The fire department would be here in about ten minutes, I didn’t have time to mess around. The files that they have must be huge…. Once I finally got the right timing, I leapt into the room and ducked behind one of the consoles. 

My breathing was ragged. I hadn’t done any sneaking around like this in a very long time. It felt good, not doing paperwork. Rather actually doing what I became a government agent to do, though I suppose not in the way that was originally intended. 

Poking my head up to once again grab another glance at the security camera I moved throughout the room to where the main computer was. I remembered Walters’ password, it’s not like he kept it hidden, either that or I was surprisingly good at eavesdropping. They were always looking for someone observant in my line of work. 

Fingers flying across the keyboard, I got into his account. It didn’t take long for me to access the files on Ivo either, which was a godsend. I had to duck under the computer desk once again when the camera spun in my direction. I was going to have to hope that it didn’t get a view of the monitor. 

The mechanical wrr from the camera alerted me that I was able to go back to the monitor. There was one problem. I had the file, I was on the computer. But I had nowhere to put the file. I cursed to myself for my own stupidity. Leaping before looking, something I tended to do… Which wasn’t a good thing when you spent a lot of your free time on weekends going bungee jumping. 

Okay, think. There has to be something around here that I can upload the file onto. Some- The alarm stopped. That could only mean one thing. The fire department had arrived, and they were going to be searching the building for the fire. Every single room. If I was discovered here… Lets just not think about that, Stone, focus. You have a job to do. 

There were drawers in the cabinet across the room, which I slowly ducked over too once the camera was no longer looking at me. Step one completed, now find something before they find you. Opening every single little cabinet was going to be a pain in the ass, but I needed to work fast. Thankfully, in the third one I opened I managed to grab a USB stick. Lord knows what was on it, but it was a good start to say the least. 

Rushing back over to the computer console I plugged in the USB and started with the file transfer. It asked for another password. I attempted the one I had used before to log into the monitor but no dice. I tapped my fingers on the keyboard angrily. I am not giving up. There is nothing that is going to stop me now. 

The second that I could hear footsteps in the hallway I jumped slightly, which got me caught by the camera. Fuck. I had been so careful. Maybe if it was just the once they wouldn’t be able to see my face… Breathe Stone, you need to figure out the password to transfer the files. Show him, show him how you are more relentless than a damn- 

My anger allowed me to type in what my old password was, the one I used to access the files on the Alien Hedgehog back before we had been assigned to the case. Sure it would be tracked back to me, but I had thrown my life away already by giving up my job here and now being caught by the camera. 

Once the transfer began to work I crawled back under the computer desk. I hope that it will be an adequate hiding place… For now. Fire would be something pretty obvious, or at least I would think so. That they wouldn’t bother looking without seeing smoke - at least fingers crossed. 

Groaning open, the door slammed against the far wall. Instinctively I held my breath. The sound of footsteps circled the room, and then someone stopped right in front of the monitor. Their pair of boots looking directly at me. As though they would call out to the wearer that I was right under there. Dragging me out of here and essentially ending whatever chance I had at ever finding Ivo. 

For what seemed like hours the figure stood in front of the monitor slowly scanning the entire room. 

“Hey, you done in there?” 

“Yeah. Coming, it’s all clear,” the figure called as he stormed out of the room and slammed the door. I let out the breath I had been holding and slowly peaked my head around the side to view the camera. Looking away and knowing I didn’t have much time left to get out of the building I snatched the USB stick, logged out of the account, and made a B-line for the door. 

∞ 

The monitor of my personal laptop added a blue glow to the remainder of my small studio apartment bedroom. Getting out of the pentagon had been easy, coming up with a lie as to why I had ignored the alarm was convincing enough, and they called it a false alarm and everyone went back to work. I had given Walters one last sideways glance before leaving. I secretly hoped that he figured out that it was me. That this was all me. Maybe then he would get the hint. 

With my trembling right hand I grasped the USB. I never checked if anything was on it, hell it could have a virus for all I knew. Well, there is only one way to find out. It’s not like I couldn’t get a new laptop. I may be necessary anyways. 

Flipping open the drive, I inserted it into the computer. Waiting for a few seconds that felt like they had been dipped in honey. the image of the drive appeared on my desktop. 

“Bingo.” I muttered under my breath as I used my left hand to attempt to scroll the cursor over towards it. However, after a few failed attempts, I realized that the prosthetic was not going to be picked up by the trackpad. “Ah, fuck”. It was a little louder than intended. 

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I used my right hand to open the folder. What opened was surprising, documents where there for sure. But the ones that I had been looking for? They had all been corrupted. I leaned my head back against the headboard of my bed in defeat. 

I tried. I tried and I fucking failed. 

_ They are diligent, relentless, they mean EVERYTHING to me.  _

“You can’t give up on him,” I finally spoke to myself. Sure, maybe these papers couldn’t help me find out where he was-

My train of thought was suddenly cut off as I lowered my head back down to look at the document. Among all of the scrambled letters and numbers there was one name that managed to come out. One single solitary name that jumped out from the page at me. 

Thomas Wachowski.

  
  



	4. Badnik

If someone was stupid enough to waste time on making my life into a satrical secret agent film , this would be the part where I would be given my untimely death. A car broken-down on the highway has been a cliche since the inception of mass transportation. 

The blazing sun beat down on me as I carted the rucksack with all of my provisions. It’s not like it took me very long to empty my apartment of the essentials. I presumed that I would be back at some point or another. The last thing I wanted was to have to walk the remainder of the way to Green Hills. I knew I was about thirty miles out but that was from a small weathered mile marker that local teens used as target practice and it was a while back. 

Setting my bag down, I took a few seconds to breathe. Taking off my light jacket I almost blinded myself from the sheen from my left arm. 

“Shit,” I mumbled as I tied the arms of the jacket around my waist. Sweat dripped down my chest and forehead. I wiped it away with the back of my hand. The metal didn’t do much in terms of actually getting the sweat off. Only smearing it around, making more of a mess. Narrowing my eyes with irritation I brought my right hand up and managed to do what my left hand failed. 

I knew very well that I could have called the sheriff’s office. However I had no intentions of speaking to him until I was ready for confrontation. That solitary person I got from that one damn corrupted file... Thomas Wachowski. A sneaky son of a bitch who took the love of my life with the help of that little blue alien. If not Tom coming to my ‘rescue’ if I called, it would be that pathetic deputy. Small talk was not at all what I wanted right now. 

Heaving my bag back on my left shoulder I dragged myself along the road. Because of how little I had been able to actually take the time to keep in shape, everything seemed to take more effort than it should have. 

Curse that stupid Finnic. I am a government agent… or at least I was. But I spent a lot of my downtime keeping in form. Training to be ready for anything. My physical form meant a lot to me. Besides, I needed to be ready to handle a hostage situation at any time of the day. Or even just make a lightning fast coffee run for…. 

My heart ached from the gaping hole where he had taken residence. There was something about having him ripped away from me like this that made the world seem empty. The way the machines used to buzz around the lab as he worked... Brushing me off whenever I got too involved in his work...

A familiar technical whirr sprung me from my thoughts. Whipping my head around, my heart started pounding out of my chest. 

A car. 

Not only a car, it was a police cruiser moving at a slow pace. My first instinct was to leap into the tall grass, and since the car was approaching with no other option in sight I followed my instincts. 

The rough grass pricked me with every movement as I got as low to the ground as possible, covering my mechanical arm as I am sure it would reflect sunlight and give away my position. I already knew the car was going to stop, you see someone hide and the first thing you do is investigate. Trying to press myself further into the grass, I needed to ensure that I was out of the eyeliner of whomever was going to step out of that car. Especially if it was Wachowski coming to greet me. I had about a fifty-fifty chance of who would be making themselves known. Neither of which I really wanted to speak to, let alone have to explain myself too. 

Agonizingly, the sound of the wheels moving along the ground came into earshot. Slowly inching their way over to my position. It was painful, whomever it was clearly had an issue with short term memory loss if they had already forgotten where I had leapt into the grass. 

Finally coming to a halt a few metres away from me, I spotted a pair of boots stepping out of the car. I held my breath and snapped my eyes shut, going against everything that I had been told. Keep your eyes open when you are hiding, in case they get too close to finding you and you need to fight.  _ Don’t find me. Don’t find me. _ I repeated it was like a kid playing hide and seek. 

Cracks of static filled the fair for a split second before the deputy spoke. “Must be an animal or something.” It seemed that he had been expecting or at least was hoping to find something worth his time. If of course anything was worth his time in the first place. 

Only when the door slammed shut did the breath I was holding leave my strained lungs. That was far too close. Nothing like that can happen again. Planning the perfect moment was key when confronting the one I had come all this way for. I was not going to let that deputy ruin my moment by acting like some saint and giving me a ride into town. 

Pushing myself up so that I was sitting I looked around at the stretch of road. The cruiser was in the distance, getting further and further away by the second. I am sure that he had something to do, or some domestic situation to sort out. Hell, maybe the local donut shop was getting a little too overcrowded. 

Kicking myself for snickering at my own joke, I stood back up and threw my rucksack over my shoulder. There was no longer any point in following the road. They would find my car eventually but the lack of plates would lead them nowhere, the last thing I wanted was to be questioned as to why my car was left out on the road without any plates. I had also long ago taken due diligence to ensure that all of the serial numbers in the vehicle were scratched off. Everyone knows that every good agent needs a getaway car after all. 

Turning my head, I caught sight of the dense forest. That seemed to be more my speed, and besides, no one should be walking around there. In the event that some local dog walker found me I could always claim to be going on a hike through the rocky mountains. Not at all connecting me to the car without its license plates. 

“Here goes nothing.” I spoke softly as I started pushing through the tall grass, grasshoppers leaping out of the way to avoid my footsteps. It was a common childhood thing to be running through tall grass, or being scalded by one's parents for running through the tall grass and bringing the insects collected into the house. 

Continuing to feel the heat on my skull, I knew that the cool forest was going to be a breath of fresh air. Probably literally as the sweltering heat left nothing to the imagination of the senses. 

∞

The light coming from between the trees made for interesting patterns on the forest floor. Best of all it kept the sun off of me as I continued to trudge on. There was something about being alone in the woods that I had forgotten how much I enjoyed. The sounds of birds chirping and fluttering between branches as they explored their home. 

There was beauty in nature, something that I didn’t spend much time in these days. When your partner is seemingly against everything to do with the natural world and is too stubborn to listen to anything you say, it’s a little difficult to do the things that you enjoy. Sure I got the occasional time away from Ivo, but even still. We enjoyed spending time together outside of work, where we could raise hell in all corners of the world. 

In nature however was not one of his chosen options, there was no robotics to mess with. Technology to scramble. If anything, being out here was the one place where he had no control and it bothered him. Something I could understand, but I suppose having respect for what you can’t control is a part of the human experience Ivo never truly understood. 

_ “Alan! Alan Hurry up!”  _

It was a voice from my distant past, memories that seemed so buried that it took reflection in order to resurface. My childhood. A childhood in a large suburban area where in the span of a block everyone knew each other. We all had block parties and it was the place where I made one of my first best friends. 

Someone I hadn’t spoken to in years. She was after all living the best version of her life that she could. Hell she deserved it… the dreamer. The one with the kindest soul I had ever met. 

I stopped for a second as the memories continued to envelop me. I had a mission, I didn’t need resurfacing childhood memories taking me away from that. There was a time and a place to remember a long lost friendship and right now was not that time. 

Despite my wishes, her playful laughter rang through my head as though I had been transported back to the place of my youth. I was always faster, more agile. I was the one who found the place to build the fort, one that was probably long forgotten or torn down to create some new overpriced housing. 

As my mind continued to wade through my years and years of memories I took a few steps backwards, trying to find that log I had stepped over a few seconds ago. Feeling something hit my back I leapt forward and took in a breath to try to calm myself down. What the….? 

Whipping my head around so fast I wouldn’t have been shocked if I had given myself some kind of whiplash, I snarled as my eyes scanned the area for whomever had crashed into me. “Who is there?” 

Slowly my hand reached down to the pocket of my cargo pants, pulling out a small swiss army knife. Flipping the blade out so it gleamed in the sunlight I gripped it with my metallic arm. There was a chance that my hand would drop it from the glitchy signal from my nerves, but I was hopeful that whomever would come out and this confrontation could end as quickly as it started. 

“Show yourself!” I hissed. I suppose some part of me expected that little blue rat to leap out from behind the tree and rush off in another direction leaving nothing but the snap of a few twigs and a blue blur. “I am armed.” 

Clearly whatever was hiding had no intention of coming out. “Come on you pathetic little blue hedgehog. Come out here and fight me properly!” I was almost yelling. 

After a few seconds I finally heard the bushes rustling. At last I would get the chance to enact some kind of revenge, maybe question the little creature as to the whereabouts of Ivo. There is no way he would just give up on pursuing something, he was far too focused on making his creations the best that they could be to- 

My mind snapped back to reality when the strange figure revealed itself, with almost not a single sound coming from it. Rising from the bushes it looked at me with its bright red eye. I blinked a few times in confusion as it looked at me and I looked at it, trying to process what both of us were doing here. 

“W…. What?” I cocked my head to the right a little confused. How on earth… 

Hovering in front of me was one of the many creations that Ivo had taken so much pride in. A white outer shell, and shaped like an almond. The bright red eye seemed to just stare at me. He called them Badniks. I always wanted to ask why he called them that. 

The machine didn’t move, it just hovered there looking directly at me. I took a step to the right and it followed me, playing an old game that school bullies used to do. 

“You aren’t going to let me out, are you?” I asked, narrowing my eyes and flipping the blade of my knife back into its sheath. There was going to be no need for it after all. “Do you…. remember me?” 

It seemed strange to ask a robot if it remembered me. Maybe it did, maybe it didn’t. I can’t be sure how Ivo programmed them. If he gave them some kind of memory, he probably did as it seemed like something rudimentary. 

After what felt like hours, the red scanning light came on, slowly working its way over my entire body. I wonder what took it so long, maybe being on for so long was starting to get to its systems. Or the weather was starting to penetrate the exterior of the bot. 

“It’s me, it’s Alan… Please remember.” Before I even knew what was happening I felt a tear running down my cheek. It hit me that these creations were the last piece of the doctor that I had left. Why I was getting emotional over a single solitary robot was another question all together. 

That’s when it spoke, or at least what I would consider speaking since it was still quite rudimentary. The inflections in how it spoke my name were just enough that I was able to make out what it was trying to communicate. A stupid grin covered my features, I threw myself forward and wrapped my arms around the flying bot. 

I suppose some part of me wished that I was holding Ivo, that one of the things that he left behind would allow me to be able to be comforted by him for at least a short while. I finally pulled away after a few seconds, the bot still unwavering. “It’s nice to see you again, but-” I tried to turn away but the machine zipped in front of me once again, blocking my path. 

Sighing, I reached out my hand to try to push it out of the way, and it butted me in the chest. Taking a couple seconds to regain my posture I looked at the Badnik confused. What did it want? 

“What is it?” I realized after I had asked the question how stupid I must have sounded. Letting myself laugh out loud for what seemed like the first time in a very long time, the troubles of the world seemed to fade away. “I cannot believe I am talking to a robot-”

Quickly zipping around me again, the bot began to float to the right of me for a few metres before stopping and turning around to look back at me. This reminded me of canine behaviour. The way a dog will rush forward and stop to turn around when showing its owner something. 

With the realization still fresh on my mind I was kinda frozen in place. These creatures (if I could even call them that) were much more intelligent then I had given them credit for. In my lapse of movement, the bot zipped around behind me and began nudging me forward. Once again, imitating doglike behaviour. 

“Okay, okay.” I breathed as it pulled my arm forward, almost spinning me around. The whirring from the bot had gotten a little faster as though it were excited about something. My cheeks were beginning to hurt, I was smiling so much. It was as though a part of him had come back to me. I suppose the bot was smart enough to find me in the first place which was an achievement all on its own. 

Striding after the bot as it took its time to both stay ahead of me to lead the way, but also staying at a pace that I could be able to keep up with, I gripped at the rucksack so that it wouldn’t keep banging against my back. I knew that I would run out of steam too quickly if I was to start running, even though it was tempting. 

Where on earth was it taking me? 

The sun was beginning to set as I kept on following the bot. It was still making those sounds that made me think that it was excited, if of course the bot itself could feel excitement in the first place. 

I stopped for a second, starting to get frustrated. The bot stopped as well and turned to look at me. “What? Are you just going to keep on going? Where the hell are we headed?” I snapped. I wasn’t fatigued at all, I just didn’t want to be following this thing if it was broken. 

Flying down to where I was the bot one again looked at me unblinking. It pushed my back again, begging me to walk forward, to keep following. Like we had somewhere to go. The anger began to well up in my eyes. “You are broken aren’t you? You are nothing but scrap metal because he isn’t here to fix you! He isn’t here to love you and it reduces you to...” I collapsed to the ground, leaning my back against a tree as once again tears started streaming down my face. 

“...Reduces you to nothing.” I hugged my knees, allowing myself time to cry. The empty hole in my heart throbbing as though it were beginning to take over the rest of my emotions. It felt like he had ripped something from me, taken a piece of me that I was never going to get back. 

Taking in a shaky breath trying to wipe away the tears from my eyes, I looked up, seeing the bot looking right at me. “Don’t tell me you are lost without him too.” I then rolled my eyes. Of course this Badnik was lost without its master. Someone to tell it what to do. He wanted them to be able to take instructions after all, without someone to give instructions to them… they would be lost. 

Gathering myself together I stood back up and looked at the bot as it slowly made its way to eye level with me. “I miss him too…. probably more than you can imagine.” I reached my hand out to touch the bot but then stopped. It wasn’t some pet. It was a creation that was meant to follow orders, this… this thing wasn’t able to feel any kind of emotion. Not even Ivo could do that. 

Or so I thought. 

Zipping off, the bot rushed off in the other direction. I still remained on the ground however, refusing to get up for the moment. Some piece of me wished I could just disappear, the empty hole in my being was too much for anyone to bear alone. No wonder why there were so many terrible songs written about heartbreak. The feeling was agonizing. 

I suppose the bot noticed when I didn’t follow right after it. So flying back and looking right at me, it waited. Making a few noises here and there, clearly trying to get me to get up and continue following. 

“You can’t negotiate human emotion. Give me a break.” I breathed as I once again rested my head on the tree. Spinning in a couple circles like one would expect from an impatient dog it came down to my level, an arm reaching out and grabbing my hand. My real hand, as though there were something taboo about touching the fellow robotic arm. 

Despite the fact it had grabbed the flesh of my hand as opposed to my robotic arm I was shocked by how gentle it was. The tug from the bot to try to get me up was almost sweet.  _ Almost.  _ Letting out a reluctant sigh, I pulled myself to my feet, the robotic claw still grabbing hold of my right hand. “Okay okay… You win this round.” I paused for a second as the excited whirring returned to the bot. 

Letting go of my hand and once again repeating that dog like movement, it moved and I followed behind the bot. The underbrush wasn’t too thick which I found to be strange, as though someone had walked this path before myself many times. I am certain however that wherever I was wasn’t a popular trail. I hadn’t heard anyone in a long time. 

Once darkness had fallen on the forest, the only light illuminating the ground came from the bot which had the sense to stay only about a foot in front of me so that the path was illuminated by an almost pastel red light. 

If someone were to take on the task of writing about my life I suppose this would be another good place for my untimely death. Walking around in an unknown forest in the middle of the night with a bot leading me to an unknown location seemed like a terrible idea to anyone sensible. 

After however you manage to lose everything that meant something to you in your life, it’s not hard to be able to accept the idea of death. The idea of no longer existing and just fading away into nothingness. It’s not like it would be difficult for the world to forget about my existence as they had so easily forgotten about Ivo’s. 

Looking at the ground as though the earth could somehow protect me from my own swirling thoughts, I managed to drift off into a world of my own creation. Which prevented me from realizing that the bot had stopped in front of me. Crashing right into the back of the Badnik was probably going to leave a mark. 

My eyes snapped up to the bot hovering as though it too were lost in its own thoughts. Once I however traced where it had pointed the light I realized where it had lead me and almost gasped. “You… You took me home.” I stepped around it so that it was right beside me my eyes locked on the target. 

The large black truck stood looming over the rest of the forest. It had this kind of refusal to become part of the natural world. The vines were beginning to creep up the side of the tires but were somehow thwarted from getting any further. 

Even the staircase was somehow not allowing the natural world to leave its thumbprint on it. It was perplexing to look at and made the mobile lab all the more intimidating as I approached it. With a structure like this sitting around untouched by fellow humans I was a little surprised to say the least. Why on earth had they not moved it yet? Maybe they were unable to find it... Perhaps this lone bot managed to protect the place that it had called home, where it had been created and where it had waited for its creator to return. 

Sensing my hesitation, it hovered over to me and once again gave me its favourite little shove. “Alright alright… I’m going okay?” I sounded far too playful for my own good. It’s not like it’s mechanical mind would be able to understand the nuances of my voice to begin with. I suppose it gave me some kind of comfort to be able to have a companion. Even if it wasn’t human. Ivo found companionship in these strange little creatures, not quite as pets but nowhere near equals to himself either. 

Unable to hesitate because of the insistence of this little creation, I stepped up the staircase for what seemed like the first time in a million years. The door swung open as I approached it, however it seemed to groan in agony as it did so. It was going to need some repairs, that was for sure. I don’t think that robotics took too well to being left alone for a prolonged period of time. 

Stepping inside the lab gave me a wave of emotions that I was not expecting, or I was able to handle like someone my age. Wave after wave hit me, threatening to drag me under and into a state of paralysis.  _ You are just lovesick Alan, get yourself together.  _ The thing that probably snapped me out of my delirium was the fact that the bright fluorescent lights turned on, almost blinding me from the darkness that I had emerged from outside. 

The layer of dust that had gathered on everything made me instantly twitch. The doctor was meticulous about keeping this place clean. Even the smallest hair would be able to disrupt the circuits after all, which would be the end of the world potentially. Causing something to fizz out and prevent it from working to its fullest potential. 

The bot had given up on its little tour and just stepped back, allowing me to walk around the lab for myself. I am sure that it knew I was familiar with the space and didn’t need to be shown around. Which was something I strangely appreciated. 

Running my hand over the main desk at the far end of the lab illuminated the screens that must have been switched off for weeks now. I plopped my rucksack down on the ground and used both of my hands to wipe the dust away. My metallic arm however gave me a little bit of grief in that department. 

The screen in front of me showed the departure of the craft that Ivo had spent so many months perfecting. The introduction of the quill really made the whole thing all the more spectacular. Making it faster than one could have ever imagined, and that was just one quill. What else could potentially be done once that blue alien had been captured and studied?

I turned around and faced the empty hole where the craft should have been. The room seemed hollow without it… This also drew my attention to the empty spots where the rest of the Badniks would have been. There were only a handful that remained, not of course including the one that was sitting at the door that slowly was straining to shut. 

Looking directly at the mechanical creation that was staring right at me I decided that I needed to call it something. “You need a name, other than bot.” I smiled faintly, feeling stupid that I had laughed once again at my own joke. It was the pinnacle of being a loser, which I suppose was something I was all too familiar with. 

Cocking my head to the right, my mind ran through all of the things that could potentially work as names. “Something too human like Stan wouldn’t work. It would seem strange.” I mused as I put my hand to my chin reeling back slightly when the cold metal touched my skin. After this moment, I allowed myself to be enveloped by my own thoughts. . “Fluffy wouldn’t be fitting at all.” 

Why was it so difficult naming things? I was never good at it, even with family pets I was usually the last one to give name suggestions. Which left the remainder of the Stone family blinking awkwardly as the classic crickets elevated the tension of the situation. So from there on out all of my name suggestions were thrown out and I was left with the job of smiling and nodding when someone came up with a far superior name for the family pet than anything I could come up with. 

“What about Surge… Like a power surge. The thing that led us to this god forsaken town in the first place.” I snorted once again at my own joke. Although I was sure that if I decided to find my way to the town and said that to anyone I would have been beaten to a pulp. Or worse, glared at with mild contempt.

Surge whistled in approval, or at least gave what sounded like a little chirp. I hoped that the two of us could learn to communicate, maybe Ivo had been experimenting with this one to see how much intelligence he could program into it. I remember him saying it was his life goal to make something that would be able to break the Turing test, maybe this Badnik was the beginning of that. 

Hovering around me in what seemed like a happy little circle swirling around my body, Surge continued to let out a little chirp-whistle noise. Satisfied with both my presence and the name that I had decided to give him. I beamed as I watched it now that it had found someone to give it orders. Or at least someone to give it some sense of company. 

My eyes scanning the rest of the lab made me realize how unfamiliar it had become now that the main resident and his creations were no longer around. It seemed quiet as well once Serge had quieted down and remained hovering beside me right at my eye level. Taking a few steps, I approached a glass case which was right next to where the hovercraft should have been. 

A headless mannequin stood right in the middle, illuminated by a harsh backlight. I knew exactly what was supposed to be in here. The absence of the red flight suit that he had custom made once the craft had been completed reflected that of his absence in my life. Leaving nothing on the mannequin… At least I knew he hadn’t been back since… Since… 

A heaviness overtook my eyes the longer I looked at the empty glass case. I didn’t realize how much sleep I had missed out on in the last little while. It was after all to be expected that my insomnia would be acting up. What I needed was some rest. Maybe if I actually slept properly I would be able to think clearly. 

Crossing to the mid section of the lab I opened the door to Ivo’s quarters. It’s not like it was huge… I shook my head, trying to clear away the memories. The black silk sheets were turned back neatly over the white pillows. My eyes scaring the room, my mind was unable to keep the memories from me. 

∞

“I am fine, Stone” he hissed, striding past me. His shoes tapping the ground as he walked. The scorch marks on his jacket told me otherwise. 

“You were gone for a day and a half, doctor. I believe it’s my right to worry about you.” I responded in kind, anger still beginning to boil. He left without telling me. Waking up with a note saying ‘I will be back, see you soon’ isn’t helpful or enough information. 

He turned to look at me, his eyes filled with cynicism and slight flecks of anger. “So? What does it matter to you?” 

“Doctor, it is my job to ensure-“ 

“Oh stop with that incessant banter. It’s all protocol that means nothing. If I died tomorrow you would probably cheer for your new assignment,” he grumbled, turning away from me. 

Against my better judgement I put a hand on his shoulder, in an attempt to get him to look at me. 

“No-!” he snapped, stepping back and slapping my hand away. “Don’t touch me, agent!” He had strange boundaries considering he was the one always getting up in my face. Yet me putting a hand on his shoulder was crossing the line. 

Feeling the steam rising from my ears I stepped away. “Happy now? Enough space for you Robotnik?” 

Nodding in approval he turned back to his work. I however was not satisfied with this. “I tried contacting you, every way I could. I waited and I worried…” I stopped, feeling my eyes beginning to well up. “I don’t know what I would do without you” I finally yelled. 

Silence filled the trailer the two of us were standing in. My ragged breathing finally cut through the silence and Ivo turned to look at me. “What did you say?” 

“I don’t know what I would do without you… Doctor.”  _ I am in love with you _ . No way in hell I was brave enough to add that. “If I lost you… I would never forgive myself. I need you! Don’t you understand that?! You should be smart enough to get it, or do I need to get one of the Badniks to explain it to you?!” 

The stunned look from the doctor was new. He was left speechless. I had never shown my anger before. “You aren’t my mother, Stone.” 

My hand balled into a fist. “No, but I think that being your boyfriend means something, or maybe I was wrong about you.” I took a step closer to him. “How do you think I’d feel if someone called saying you were dead or worse! I’d be broken, I love you so much Ivo Robotnik and you can’t keep-’” I cut myself off realizing what I had said. 

Cutting me off from the rest of my thoughts, he pushed me up against the wall as he had done millions of times before, this time however his lips hit mine with such a force it almost winded me. 

It took me a second before I melted in his arms, my rigidity, locked with anger, faded away slowly, starting with allowing our tongues to twist as we had done a handful of times before. He pushed his body against my own, forcefully holding the back of my neck. My eyes fluttered shut as my arms wrapped around his neck. 

Finally pulling away he spoke again. “What did you say?” 

“I…” I panted. “I love you.” His lips connected with my neck and I breathed out sharply, His hands fumbled, trying to get my jacket off. 

My suit jacket crumpled to the floor in a heap and I didn’t even think about how I was going to have to iron it. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he picked me up and put me down on the work desk. 

I put a hand out before he could start kissing me again. I grabbed his hand and pulled his gloves off throwing them over to where my suit jacket was, while I was at it I loosened my tie. 

He looked kind of bewildered, this entire experience was new for him. Only having experienced one real relationship in college, it’s not like I really knew what I was doing either. 

I did however wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him forcefully. Deeply wanting, this was something I had longed for for so long... based on what I could feel of him against my leg, I had a feeling he had been craving this as well. 

I reached over to the shoulders of his long jacket and slowly pushed it off of him, gently gliding it to the floor. He had to let go of me in order to get it off. I started to unbutton his shirt, however I was stumbling, my fingers clumsy from how hard I was shaking. 

Once we stopped to breathe again he picked me up, my legs still wrapped around him, and he carried me once again. Ivo was a lot stronger than one might have guessed by looking at him. I’m honestly surprised he didn’t drop me. 

Kissing his neck I whispered, “You got one of your wrenches, or did you just miss me?” He chuckled slightly as he kicked open the door to his personal quarters. 

“I’ll let you find out, Alan.” Pushing me down onto the crisp sheets, he placed a hand beside my head starting to unbutton my shirt with the other. I liked the way he felt on top of me. And despite his tall lanky figure he held me down with force. With longing... he had been waiting for this too. I gently kicked off my shoes, and they thudded to the ground. 

My head was cradled by the memory foam pillow as I was pushed down into it. His lips locking onto mine again and his tongue finding mine made my hunger for him burn. I pulled him towards me, almost wanting the weight of him to crush me.

Despite the bliss of the situation I found myself in I felt a pang of fear rush through me. Ivo had never seen my scar. Nor had I ever explained where I had gotten the scar from in the first place… 

I am sure that he felt my sudden hesitation as he pulled away from me and pushed himself up so that he was no longer against my torso, which would make it all the easier to see the gaping imperfection on my chest. 

“Alan, is something wrong?” He whispered, his voice lower than usual. His tone was sweet as well. Something that was like candy when I got to listen to it. It was so rare that he was like this, which made this moment all the more special. 

I shook my head, however the second I did I could see he could tell that I was lying. I closed my eyes. “I have a scar on my chest…” 

The worst thing I could have imagined was him looking down at me, seeing how vulnerable I was and somehow damaging the relationship that we had managed to build. However tentative that relationship could be at times. 

He ran his hand down it, slowly causing a chill to run down my spine. The rarest part of all was to have his ungloved hand touching my skin. What was he going to say? What on earth was he going to do? Not knowing how he was going to react to the one superficial thing I kept hidden from most was... Even after it had happened I stopped going to the beach, being shirtless in public was not something I enjoyed. 

“I love you Alan, and a scar isn’t going to change that.” He paused for a second. “Why would you think that would change how I felt about you?” 

A smile came across my features. I pulled off my shirt and let it fall to the floor. “I love you too. I love you so much.” I put my hand on the back of his neck pulling him back towards me. 

∞

I hated how painful that memory was. I flopped down onto the bed, this time on my own, but wishing for the warmth of another alongside me. For a moment I felt as though my entire body were made out of lead. I wished I had some ability to turn off this incessant heartbreak. 

Deep down I knew that there were things that I needed to be doing, especially looking after Surge and trying to get this place cleaned up, yet all I had the energy for was to lie here and just wallow in my own misery. 

Leaking down my cheeks without any kind of control on my part, I didn’t bother wiping the salty drops away. More would come to fill their place after all, so taking the time to get rid of them would be a futile effort. 

The worst part of all of it was the fact that I could still smell him on everything. Sure it sounded strange when I said it out loud, but it was true. It was as though he had never left, that I would roll out of bed and find him sitting in his chair in the office. 

Burying the side of my face in the pillow, I couldn’t even remember when I fell asleep. Tears were still in the corners of my eyes and the scent of the love of my life was still in the air. Crying yourself to sleep was never a good strategy, or at least that is what I have been told.

My dreams were endless yet all a blur of being in a world that felt as though it were millions of miles away. A world where Ivo was beside me, where he didn’t just up and leave me… 

Jolting awake I sat up in bed, my heaving chest made me immediately look over to see that the other side of the bed was empty. I don’t know what I was expecting… My eyes slowly shut and I lay back down staring up at the ceiling. 

Before I was able to shut my eyes again I heard a whirring noise “Good morning to you too.” Surge stared right at me with that one glowing red eye. Cyclops is what I should have called him, now that I think about it. 

I am sure that if it was in the programming, Serge would have brought me a coffee or breakfast or something. Who knows. I chuckled a little bit. “Go on then, do whatever…. I am sure you have something or other to attend to.” I rolled over and continued to soak in the smell from the abandoned bedsheets. 

Unhappy with my decision, Surge reached out and grabbed my shirt, pulling me slightly. However I seemed to have underestimated its power when it managed to get me off of the bed. I rolled onto the floor and laughed faintly. “Really? It’s not like I have to feed you or anything, do I?” I commented as I pushed myself up so that I was sitting upright. 

I took in a deep breath as I looked over at my phone which had fallen off the bedside table. Maybe Surge was right, I couldn’t just sit around and hope for something to happen. That was hopeless to say the least. 

Why not actually do something to take my mind off of the gaping hole in my chest instead of trying to prolong the pain? There was one person that I knew lived around here somewhere, maybe in this little town itself for all I knew... Someone I hadn’t spoken to in a very long time. 

The thought of getting to spend some time out of the lab made the sinking feeling let up for a little bit. The memories of my childhood returning. The sound of the river in the spring once all the snow had melted away. Slowly my eyelids fluttered closed. 

  
  



	5. Prom

Surge had a habit of waking me up every so often. I suppose when your creator is an insomniac by choice you thought that someone sleeping for hours on end was out of the ordinary. I wonder if it was some kind of programming or the bots observation that caused it to act in that way. 

There was only so long that one could try to get a bot to leave you alone to rest. Getting a look at the bags under my eyes in the fluorescent lighting of the lab bathroom, I decided that there was no point in trying to sleep when something like that was working so hard to keep me awake. 

I would be lying to myself if I said that I found the bot more annoying than charming. There was something about the almost doglike nature of the bot that kept me fascinated with it. It probably helped that its inventor had taken great time to ensure that it would demonstrate a level of intelligence that surpassed the others he had created previously. 

Dragging myself out of the bathroom, I stepped into the main lab. My hands folded across my chest and I narrowed my eyes. There was a lot of work to be done, and I wasn’t going to leave the lab looking like a mess. 

Grabbing the vacuum, I got to work right away, trying to get the dust off of all the surfaces. The modern design of the mobile lab made it all the easier to clean up properly. 

Checking my watch, it was about five in the morning by the time that I had finished getting everything clean. I sat down in the large chair in front of the main desk. There was something intimidating about how large the single screen was, even though it was absorbed in darkness. 

Folding my arms and resting my head on them, I slowly allowed my eyes to flutter shut. I would have gone back to bed and fallen asleep, however the thought of being surrounded by the scent of Ivo made me shudder. There was also a chance that if I mimicked the Doctor’s falling asleep at the desk that maybe Surge wouldn’t wake me up to check on me. 

Unsure as to how much time had passed, I allowed myself to sit up and stretch. My neck had a familiar pain throbbing in the back of it from the way that I had slept on it. However I was going to have to get used to it. Taking in a deep breath I rubbed my hand over the muscles, wishing that my hand alone could release the tension. 

Once I managed to come to my senses I looked up to see that Surge was still looking right at me. My eyes narrowed a little bit, the tiredness seeping back into my body. There was no way that I was going to get proper sleep while Surge was around. Which wasn’t always a bad thing. At least I knew that I was being looked out for. 

Getting up from the chair I made my way to the coffee maker, caffeine was the only thing that was going to keep me running. Just like back in college. 

Stretching once again and feeling the looseness in my limbs, I yawned, grabbing a cup. The process was easy enough with the modified coffee maker. I just wanted some hot water anyways, so that shouldn’t have been too complicated. Surge of course had to inspect my every little action. Shooing him away didn’t seem to have any effect. 

I tried to think of a way to get Surge to go back to the pods where the other Badniks were currently stuck in the resting position. However, everything that I tried didn’t work. My only guess was it didn’t work without Ivo’s gloves, the ones he used to control everything else. 

Well aware that I could have used the computer to be able to attempt to get Surge to go back and spend some time leaving me alone, I decided that I didn’t mind the company. That and I didn’t want to touch the computer, there was something about turning it on that sent fear through me. Almost as though it were another part of admitting that Ivo was gone. 

I sar down on the bed since there was nowhere else for me to rest once I had gotten everything cleaned, and then my phone let out a shrill ring. 

Surge, probably out of instinct, armed itself. The four launchers on either side of its body popping up in an instant, all targets locked on the phone. The red eye in the centre glowing a slightly darker shade. 

“Hey hey!” I yelled before stopping myself. If anything I was just going to agitate the bot further. I am sure that it picked up on my tone of voice more than the words. Taking a few seconds to gather my thoughts I finally spoke again. “It’s okay, it’s just my phone.” 

Gently I brought my hand over to it and picked it up, showing the screen to Surge. “Just my phone.” With what could only be described as hesitation, Surge dropped the weapons, allowing them to fold back into its shell. 

Finally able to breathe, I answered the phone, not even checking the caller ID. “Hey, it’s Alan.” 

“Alan!” It was more of a scream than actual intelligible words. I had to bring the phone away from my ear, which once again brought the attention of Surge who I just kinda pushed away from me. It retaliated with whirring as it tried to stay close to me. “It’s amazing to finally hear your voice again! It’s been-” 

“Seven years.” I finally spoke with a slight smile on my face. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t deeply missed having her around, there was something about old friends that you can never really replace in your life. 

“The reunion was that long ago?” 

“Yeah it was, the only time I’ve come home-“ 

“Since we both left for college.” 

She was still finishing my sentences for me. As we had when we were kids. There was something about being on the same wavelength with someone... We had known each other for years and you have a special bond with someone if a friendship lasts that long. 

It took me a few seconds of contemplating before I spoke again, clearing my throat. “So uh, did you want to meet up somewhere? I’m on assignment close to Green Hills.” 

“I saw that, I'd love to. I have to stay home today, but you are more than welcome to come in and have tea.” The excitement in her voice was palpable. 

“Sounds like a plan to me. Just send me the address and I will be there at lunch.” Surge just stared at me, which I found to be uncomfortable but I knew that pushing it away from me was going to be pointless. 

“See you soon, Alan.” The sound of the phone hanging up filled my ears. I brought it down from my head and waited for a few seconds. I received the message. The address was all too familiar. I had been there before. 

The shock almost caused me to drop the phone, but I managed to keep some of my resolve. As well as the help from the delayed reaction time from my mechanical arm. 

I had been to this address once before. When Ivo got a lead on where that little blue alien was hiding… It was the house where he had found Tom Wachowski. 

∞  
  


Nineteen years ago

I never liked parties. I suppose that is why I was never invited to them in the first place. The flashing lights, the loud music that you had to scream over to have an actual conversation. All in all, not enjoyable. 

Despite the fact that I was standing near the entrance, I still could feel the thumping from the speakers reverberating through my entire body. Adjusting my tie I tried to collect myself. 

Rushing through the main doors, she pushed past a couple that had clearly drank far too much, which was strangely shocking and yet not at the same time. Her bright teal dress looked amazing as it hugged her curves and the colour popped against her skin. 

“I am so sorry I am late Alan, Rachel is always-” She stopped for a second. 

“Fashionably late.” I rolled my eyes as I looked out at the party. “So, you actually want to be here?” 

Turning and looking at the door she paused for a second. “Let’s take one of those classic prom photos, and then ditch this place.” She rubbed her hands together as though she were a classic moustache twirling villain. 

“Sounds like a plan to me.” I shrugged as I stepped over to the photo booth. Standing back to back we both flashed a peace sign on either hand, crossing them as though they were gang signs. 

The camera flashed, almost blindingly. Which made sense considering there was barely any way to see anything in how dark this building was. I had to blink a few times before turning back to my friend. 

The photographer grinned as he handed us the polaroid before ushering us on to join the rest of the party in the middle of the room. “Have fun you two!” He seemed far too enthusiastic. Students however were supposed to be more enthusiastic about it. 

Turning to Maddie, I allowed a smirk to cover my features. “Bowling?” 

“Hell yeah.” She snatched the polaroid from the photographer, spinning around to look at me. “Let's get away from the drunk teenagers before we end up getting blamed for their underaged drinking.” She grasped my hand and I nodded as the two of us walked out of the building.

I pulled the small key out of my pocket and started to walk over to my usual ride. I could hear her groan from behind me. “Really?” 

Turning around, my eyebrows raised, I looked over at her with confusion all over my face. “What else did you expect?” Beside me was one of the nicer vehicles, a Ford Mustang I believe. 

“They could have at least bought you a car for your graduation.” Maddie folded her arms and cocked her head to the side playfully. She knew very well that me getting a proper car was never going to happen. 

I rolled my eyes and turned to the small motorcycle. “Most girls would beg to ride on the back of a motorcycle,” I responded as I swung my leg over the bike putting the key in the ignition. “Besides, it’s not like I need to learn how to drive-”

“The motorcycle is cheaper, I know I know.” She held out her hand as I passed her the second helmet I had on the back of the bike in the event that I needed it. She put it on without any regard for the updo that her hair had been put in. 

“What about your dress?” I asked as I turned around while Maddie stepped onto the backseat of the bike. She only shrugged and tucked the train up by her side. 

“It’s not like it’s far or anything.” She wrapped her arms around my waist as I leaned forward and kicked off the ground. It was nice to know that she didn’t care about the fact that she had gotten all dressed up for this one night, one night that was hyped up all year and honestly didn’t seem to be worth it. 

The bowling alley where we spent most of our weekends, was, as she had said, not too far from where we were. I managed to get us there in under ten minutes, parking the bike and putting up the kickstand. 

Maddie pulled away and took off her helmet, her hair slightly messed up from the ride. “How do I look?” she asked as she tossed her head from side to side. The mockery of classic romance movies was amusing. 

“Ready for a night of bowling.” I smiled as we both put the helmets down and walked over to the doors of the alley. I opened it for her, looking at the hem of her dress that had been covered in the muck from the ground. Although Maddie didn’t seem to have a care in the world. “My lady,” I spoke once she got to the door. 

“Thank you, Alan” she added one of those fake accents of an overly rich person before walking through the doors. The smile on my face didn’t fade for the rest of the night. 

∞

Seventeen Years ago 

Once again, I never liked parties. The loud music, the people crammed into a small space: everything to do with them left me uncomfortable in the moment and exhausted afterwards. The fact that I didn’t engage in these kinds of gatherings made many believe that I was antisocial. 

This time was different though, because I had been the one who had asked for it in the first place. I wanted to see everyone once again before I left my hometown potentially for the last time. I had been accepted into a special training program to become an agent, as I had been hoping would happen since I graduated two years ago. 

When I attempted to apply before I had left school they requested that I had some life experience first, which seemed to make sense. Not a lot of people wanted to become a government agent, or actually had the drive to do so in the first place. 

Despite everyone that had arrived, there was still someone who was missing. The person that I really wanted to say goodbye to properly. I almost got a pang of anxiety thinking that she wouldn’t come after all, too angry by the thought of me leaving with the high possibility of never returning. 

Sinking down into one of the chairs in the front room, everyone seemed to pass by me despite the fact that the gathering was for me in the first place. Almost as though I had become some kind of a ghost, or maybe I had already left in their minds and they didn’t want to bother prolonging the pain. 

I put my face in my hands, allowing the commotion of the party beginning to fade into oblivion. If Maddie didn’t come and properly say goodbye I am not sure what on earth I would do. We had been inseparable since we were ten years old. She was guilty of having to leave as well, there were no schools of veterinary medicine around here. 

The door creaked open and my eyes snapped up immediately. Looking down at me was Maddie. Her arms crossed and that determined look on her face. “Now, what can I do to convince you that this is a terrible idea?” 

I stood up and smiled. “Why did I have a feeling you would say that?”. She pulled me into a hug, a hug so crushing that felt as though she were going to break my ribs. Like maybe if she hugged me hard enough I wouldn’t leave… 

Behind her, Rachel looked at me with her eyebrows raised and a small brown box in her hands. She raised her eyebrows a couple of times and I rolled my eyes. She had been trying to get the two of us together for years. Why was I not surprised that she would continue to try now?

Finally pulling away and allowing me to breathe, Maddie held me at arms length. “Could I talk to you...” her eyes slid to the side gesturing to Rachel, “Alone?” 

I nodded faintly. “Yeah of course, I think the back patio is the only place that is not currently occupied.” I gestured to it with my hand before she started walking over. She had been to my house enough times to know the layout blindfolded. 

It was hard enough with that many people in the house, but with a few newcomers wanting to exchange words with me on my way to the back patio it was even harder. I managed to convince someone else to keep Rachel occupied while Maddie and I talked. The last thing I wanted was to have her try to get us to go out, no matter how much the two of us tried to explain to her that it was never going to happen she kept on pushing. 

Maddie was sitting on the back patio with a plate full of various hors d'oeuvres that she was staring at a little too interestedly. Slamming the door a little too loudly, she jumped up looking directly at me. “Hey.” 

“Hey,” I responded in kind sitting down at the chair across from her, my hands folded in my lap. The silence between the two of us was almost deafening. She had come here to talk to me, and yet she was unable to speak more than a word. 

“So uh…” She stopped for a second as she pushed her hair behind her ear, finally making eye contact with me. “I’m sure you know that I don’t want you to leave.” 

“You have to leave too. This was inevitable.” I probably said that a little too nonchalant as Maddie took a slice of watermelon and threw it at me, hitting me square in the chest. “I deserved that, I’m sorry.” 

“Sorry is right... I still have two years before I have to leave. I just wished I could spend these last years with you. I will miss you Alan.” She said with tears in her eyes, clearly ones that she was trying to choke back. “What i-“ 

“I will come back Maddie, I promise you that. Nothing is going to happen to me.” I leaned forward slightly. 

“Why do you want to do this in the first place? A government agent… Isn’t that kind of thing just for the clout? Or as Rachel would say ‘to be like James Bond’. Is that all this is to you?” Her hands formed air quotes around the words ‘James Bond’. I had heard Rachel call me that before as well, once she figured out what I wanted to do with my life. 

Shaking my head, I looked up at her. Seeing her with tears in her eyes was painful enough. But knowing that I was the cause of her pain was even worse. We had been together for years, almost our entire lives. The last thing I wanted to do was change everything. “It has never been about the glory for me Maddie.” I paused thinking of the best way to do this… I left the silence for too long. 

“Then what is it about, Alan?” she demanded. Rightfully so. 

Sighing, I looked away from her and out at the cars that drove by slowly. “There is something about the world of loyalty, secrets and honour that makes me want to pursue it. To protect the country by outwitting those that mean to do us harm.” 

Stopping once again, I needed a second to think. I never really had to explain why I was doing this to anyone before. This was a bit of a new experience and she deserved my best answer. There was no way that I was just going to leave her with something half assed. Especially if I never come back. 

“Maddie, you know that I considered joining the military, but I didn’t want to be responsible for that kind of warfare. I have always been someone who likes using my mind, someone who prides himself on trying to protect the ones I love.” I paused again. “I could never be responsible for killing someone innocent, but if I were able to prevent an attack that saved millions of lives, I would love that.” I finally said it out loud to someone, which was strange. It was something that was overdue for me to explain. 

Finally she turned to look back at me, her tears replaced with a happy smile. “Thank you.” She paused, I could tell by the look on her face that she was unsure as to how to respond to that. I would be in the same boat if I were in her position as well. “I have something for you. Before you go.” 

Digging into her pocket she pulled out a small worn piece of paper. One that she had kept close to her since the moment she had been given it. Slowly she unfolded it and ripped it in half. My eyes narrowed as I tried to figure out what she was doing. 

Holding out her hand with half of the ripped paper in it she looked up at me. “Here, you keep this.” I looked at it as I reached out to pick it up. It was half of the polaroid that was taken at prom, the half with her in it. 

The other half was held beside it before she pulled it away and held it carefully. “Thank you.” I smiled faintly. 

“So that you can remember that night, the night we decided that we wanted to do something other than mingle with a bunch of drunk teenagers.” She smiled and a faint laugh left her lips. “Don’t forget about me, okay?” 

A smile crossed my features. “I don’t think I could even if I wanted too.” 

∞

Slowly I raised my hand to knock on the door, it was as though for a second I had forgotten how to knock in the first place. I slowly allowed my hand to fall to the wood but hesitated when I heard a mechanical whirr. 

Surge. 

Snapping around and looking at the bot as it hovered slowly moving up and down, I folded my arms over my chest. “What on earth did I tell you?” I snapped, blinking slowly. The bot just looked at me. I wished it were able to give me some more expression. 

I sighed heavily as I watched it slowly move side to side in anticipation for whatever was going to happen next. “Surge. Get back there. Now. You can’t come with me.” Stepping over to the bot I gave it a shove. Although it didn’t do anything, I think it got the message. 

Turning around, the whirr only got closer. I groaned a little too loudly. “Go! Shoo!” I threw my arm up. “If Maddie sees you here I am going to have to answer a lot of questions that I am not in the mood for dealing with right now.” 

Still watching me intently, Surge slowly backed up and entered one of the bushes. Although the red light from its eye was still pretty obvious, and the fact that it was entirely white, it was still better than Surge being out in the open. Less of a chance that I would have to explain the situation. 

Now that I could turn back to the door, I raised my hand and knocked gently. The door reverberated, the sound almost deafening. The last time I was here… A shudder ran down my spine. 

_“Open your mouth and say you thought you should stop them.”_

I didn’t want to think about it, though Ivo sticking his hand in my mouth to reprimand me was not exactly out of character. It was his way of trying to put his hand over my mouth in the cliche kidnapper way, yet he never seemed to understand that form of contact. I tried to tell him after that he did it incorrectly, but no matter how gentle I was with the correction he only got frustrated with me. 

While the memory was flashing through me the door opened. My eyes went bright with both shock and excitement. Maddie looked at me with what I could only describe as a childlike glee. 

“Alan!” She leapt up and wrapped her arms around my neck. I smiled a bit, although I did find the sudden contact a little strange. When you get used to someone who literally sticks their hand in your mouth instead of putting their hand across your mouth you get a little desensitized. 

Once I managed to get myself out of my stupor I hugged her back. “It’s been way too long…” 

Pulling out of the hug she paused for a second. “Come in, come in. Tea is made, and don’t mind Ozzy.” Taking her smooth steps back into the house I noticed the large golden retriever looking right at me. 

Stepping into the house, it looked a lot nicer now that there weren’t holes in the walls from the previous Badnik that had been turned into a shell of its former self. I almost felt bad for it now that I saw how much sentience that Surge seemed to display. 

Closing the door behind me I stared at the dog, he was sitting quite patiently. He might have been a little bit better behaved than Surge, but not by far. After taking my shoes off I crouched down and extended my arm. 

There was probably very little point at extending my robotic arm, as it probably didn’t smell like me. However, Ozzy lumbered over to me and sniffed my hand before extending his tongue and licking it. Normally I would have cared, but there was something about the mechanical arm that left me without any qualms about being licked by a dog. 

“You com-” I stood back up when the clatter of plates filled the room. Maddie stared right at me with the shattered china around her feet. “What…. What happened to-to-” She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts. “I am sorry, I am being insensitive.” 

“It's new for me too.” I paused. “Here, let me help you.” 

“No no-” She began before I grabbed the broom that was sitting out in the kitchen. 

“Hey, it’s okay.” I started sweeping up the mess before one of us could get hurt by it, most notably the retriever who was intently smelling the bottoms of my pants.

Nodding she stepped back and grabbed a couple of new cups from the cupboard, pouring the tea into them. “I'm guessing you don’t want to talk about it.” 

Carefully picking up the dustpan so that I wouldn’t drop any of the cleaned up glass, I shook my head. “I mean, I wish it were some cool story about how I saved a box of kittens from a burning building. But, to be completely honest, I cannot remember what happened.” I shrugged, dumping its contents into the garbage with a clang. 

Sitting down at the small table at the window I looked outside, and caught a view of what seems to be a flash of white. Oh great, I gave Surge one command and he decided that it didn’t want to listen to me. 

Maddie however made me turn back to her when she placed the tea in front of the two of us. There was this moment of silence that seemed to last forever. Usually whenever the two of us reconnected after some time we managed to catch up as though no time had passed at all. 

As though someone had pressed pause on our friendship and then resumed the second that we saw each other. I just held the cup in my left hand letting my right move around the rim slowly as I continued to contemplate what to say. 

“So… uh.. Anything new?” I said trying to break the silence. Someone had to do something before the two of us were crushed by the weight of how awkward this was. 

Maddie chuckled faintly. “I’m so sorry, this is my fault. Me and your arm and.. I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, don’t be. You know I took on my job with all the risks involved. It’s not the first time that my life has been on the line and I am sure that it won’t be my last.” Lying through your teeth Stone. There is no way that they are going to take you back unless you grovel to Walters. But after the way that he had spoken about Ivo that was the last thing that I was going to do. 

“Well, to answer your question, I got married. I'm sure you know about that already.” However she did extend her left hand over to me so that I could look at the ring.

It was beautiful to say the least, despite the fact that it was quite small. But it still looked as though there was so much thought into selecting it. Even the finest little details seemed to sparkle. “It’s beautiful, so simple yet elegant.” I complemented before looking up. “Better than those huge fried eggs that those ladies used to wear at the country club.” 

She snorted as she picked up her cup of tea and took a sip. “Anything is better than the ring equivalent of a dinner plate on your finger.” The two of us broke into laughter at the memory. There was something about serving snobby rich people at a country club that allowed two people to bond. 

“I'm sorry I couldn’t be there. I didn’t get your invitation until it was too late.” It was half true I suppose. I had already been handed my newest assignment and the doctor was unwilling to let me take the time off. He didn’t understand the importance of the ceremony anyways, a waste of time and money. Despite the fact that I never asked him about such things. 

“Don’t apologize. I figured you wouldn’t be able to come… You always hated parties. I probably would have been more surprised had you decided to show up.” It was nice to be validated. It’s not like she didn’t about how important my job was. “Rachel has still been trying to send me running after you. She’s convinced Tom isn’t good enough for me.” 

My heart stopped. I had assumed that Tom and that stupid little alien had broken into her house while she was away and tried to take refuge in here. That was the only explanation for her being at the same place that he was… But… No. Maddie wouldn’t be stupid enough to marry someone like Tom. 

“Tom..?” I questioned, probably with a little more anger in my voice than I had intended. 

“Tom Wachowski.” She seemed a little surprised. ‘You haven’t met him yet? How long exactly have you been in Green Hills?” 

I needed to think up a lie and think up something fast, I knew from Ivo’s ramblings that Tom was somewhat revered in the community. If anything he seemed a little jealous. 

“I basically just got into town.” I shrugged, it seemed believable enough after all. “I was just on the outskirts when I called you, figured it would be better to get a recommendation from someone local before I got turned into a meat pie by the town serial killer.” 

“Ah.” She took the bait which was nice, I just hoped that I would somehow manage to keep the lie going for the next little while. I just lost one person that I love, I cannot risk losing anyone else. “I will be sure to keep you away from the town serial killer.” 

Nodding I took another sip of my tea, it was earl grey. She remembered, although I only wished that it was the cream of earl grey that the country club had. The brand was discontinued a while ago and I never managed to find anything that would match it. 

“What about you, seeing anyone?” Her eyes lit up and her classic mischievous smile crossed her features. 

_Yes, quite frankly he stuck his hand in my mouth last time I was in this house._

It’s not like I enjoyed lying to Maddie, hell my entire life was a lie to my family. Which they had reluctantly understood when I took up the offer given to me from the recruiter that had come to my school all those years ago. However, she didn’t deserve to be lied to about this. I could just omit some of it… Right? That’s not really lying. 

A sheepish smile crossed my face as I looked down into the cup of steaming liquid. “I am actually, it will be our one year soon.” I had plans for it, I think Ivo did as well. From the way that we had talked about it before everything. 

“So... Who is he?” she spoke. However I had taken a sip of my tea and without thinking I spit it out covering the entire table. I covered my mouth out of shock as Maddie burst out laughing. 

Trying to readjust myself in my seat, I bit my lip and looked up at her. “How on earth..? How did you know?” I tried to compose myself enough to get more words out, but the hysterical laughing from the other end of the table alongside my shock left me speechless. 

Wiping tears away from her eyes she looked at me before getting up to get a towel from the kitchen. “Oh come on Alan.” She rolled her eyes as she placed the towel down on the wooden table. I still felt terrible about it so I began patting down the mess with my good hand. “I’ve known since high school.”

The look on my face probably gave away my shock. Highschool? Even I didn’t know when I was in high school. I was so oblivious to dating and wanted nothing to do with a relationship. Not until I saw the first person that really turned my head when I went to university. That’s when things changed. “Highschool.” 

Nodding, she cleared her throat. “Yes Alan, high school. I was flirting with you very hard, every other guy in the school would have picked up on it. But you, you were so oblivious, and I thought it was cute. Until of course I realized it wasn’t an act.” 

I looked down at my tea and took another sip. This time making sure that I had swallowed it. “You knew I was gay this whole time?” 

She nodded in agreement. “Yeah, either that or you were bisexual but just really picky about a partner.” She shrugged. “I got over it pretty quickly, but when Rachel found out...” She rolled her eyes again. 

“Trying to set us up?” I chucked a little bit, reflecting on all the times that she had tried to push the two of us together. All the times she made those James Bond references when she was talking to me. As though she were trying to inflate my ego or something. 

The way she moves her eyebrows allowed me to be able to confirm my suspicions. If anything the older sister was the one who was cynical of the youngers friends, especially that of the opposite sex. I'm surprised that she hadn’t figured out the same thing that Maddie apparently had all those years ago. 

“You still didn’t answer my question Alan Stone, who are you seeing?” She asked with so much interest that it shocked me. Especially since she had just confessed her feelings for me, despite the fact that they were old and she had long since gotten over them. She knew about my sexuality before I did, she was also married which would probably help her with getting over whatever feelings she had for me in the past. 

“Well… He’s a doctor.” Technically not lying. Got five doctorates but that is another story altogether. Telling said story would also give away who he was, and since she was not just acquainted with Wachowski but married to him there was no point in risking the friendship that we had over this. 

“A doctor? A military doctor? Give me all the details.” She leaned forward with interest. I was going to have to weave a web of lies to keep her off my tail. Remember that doctor that came through here talking to your husband? Yeah that one. He’s my boyfriend! He has also dropped off the grid as well, any idea what happened to him while we are at it? 

“He is working on a bunch of top secret projects, since they wanted someone to watch his back and help him I was chosen.” Not technically a lie. But it still omitted the part that he had chosen me personally, although I don’t think that walking into an office and picking someone at random qualified as ‘picking me’. “He is out of the country for a while and asked me to stay here, not Green Hills but close by.” 

Maddie nodded, studying my facial features intently as though she were expecting more. Maybe if it were a little easier I could explain what he was, who he was… there is a chance that she might… No. 

“So you finally graduated Vet school?” 

“Alan. You are changing the subject, what is so secret about this doctor boyfriend of yours? Can I see a picture”? 

Shit shit shit! “I don’t have any photos of him on my phone. With all of the work that he does and how sensitive it is he doesn’t like having photos of him on the cloud. He’s very distrusting of machines.” Ha! I would argue that he likes them more than he likes people. Most of the time.

“He isn’t the only one that doesn’t like machines.” She muttered under her breath, letting herself become lost in thought. “I am guessing you heard about the power surge?” She looked up at me with anger dancing in her eyes. 

I paused for a second, why on earth was she asking me about this. “Yeah I did actually, If I hadn’t been assigned to help my partner on his project I would have been helping with it.” Now I was just telling outright lies. The second that someone saw me and realized who I was I was… I couldn’t think about that. The only person I wanted to see in this god forsaken town was Maddie, other than Wachowski of course. Tom to be specific as I am assuming that she took his last name. She was very traditional that way. 

“Well, I can’t go into detail, but it was caused by this creature. At the end of it this insane robot doctor ended up chasing Tom to San Francisco trying to capture whatever it was. Thinking of course that Tom was with it. We ended up dealing with him well enough.” It was easy to tell when Maddie was angry about something, she gave you this look like she was thinking about three separate ways to make you disappear without a trace. 

Hold on. This is just what I needed from her. She knew what happened to Ivo, now don’t be too interested but get the information that you need... “Hold on, got rid of him?” 

“I can’t really explain it, but yeah. We got rid of him. Good riddance.” If I didn’t care so much about her I would have punched her in the face for that. She could see the look on my face and looked up at me with concern. “Is something the matter Alan?” 

Shaking my head a little bit I finished the tea from my cup. “Yeah yeah.. It’s just I heard about it and I cannot even imagine. Maybe If I was assigned to the case I could have saved you from that wild goose chase.” 

She nodded faintly. “Don’t worry about it. Just between us, the alien creature is this space hedgehog. Tom grew attached to him and so did I.” She paused for a second as though contemplating whether or not she was going to tell me this. “His name is Sonic. He's been living with us for a few weeks.” 

If I had more liquids in my mouth I would have spit them out once again, so maybe it was a blessing that I had finished my tea seconds ago. She hadn’t just helped the creature (which I had expected based on what I knew of her) but she had actually let it into her house? The thing that took away the love of my life. I was seething with anger, yet there was no point in trying to explain why… I was already in too deep. 

“Oh. I….” 

“Please don’t tell anyone. The last thing I want is for some new version of that psychotic whack job coming after him again. He needs some stability” Like it has feelings. I had gotten used to hiding how I was feeling so well that I managed to keep my brewing anger down. 

“Of course not. What happened to the pursuer?” I couldn’t get the word doctor out. There was something about the way she had spoken about Ivo that prevented me from being able to think clearly. If I were a computer I would need to be rebooted. 

“Sonic has these… Well, teleportation devices. He sent him through one of those. Haven’t heard from the guy since.” She shrugged, her eyes turning to my empty cup. “Do you want some more tea?” 

I shook my head. “It’s one o’clock, if I have some more I will be up all night.” 

“What are you, eighty?” 

“It’s called just getting out of the hospital where they refuse to let you have anything caffeinated and you kinda get desensitized.” Which was true, last night when I had some coffee I had been up till all hours laying in bed thinking about everything when Surge wasn’t keeping me up. The only explanation was the caffeine that I had beforehand. 

Just as I opened my mouth to say something else Ozzy began barking and wagging his tail. Maddie looked slightly confused as the door handle jiggled and creaked open. 

“Someone is home early.” My heart stopped in my chest as the words left her lips. There could only be one person coming through that door. 

In a split second, a blue blur sped past me and rushed up the staircase. If I had blinked I would have missed it. Which left me in shock. 

“Aren’t you coming Doughnut Lord?” The voice called from upstairs. From what Maddie had told me I only could assume that it was one thing. My fist clenched at my side. I was so close to that little-

“Hey, sorry we are back early, someone found-” Tom froze in the foyer to the room looking directly at me as he crouched down to greet the dog who was thrilled to see his master. 

An awkward pause between the three of us rested in the room. It was as though there was some unspoken tension. I assumed that Tom thought the worst about me, that Maddie were cheating with me. As if. 

“It’s good to see you, this is Alan, one of my oldest friends. He came into town and I thought that I would invite him over. Alan, this is my husband Tom.” She stepped between the two of us as Tom walked over to me with an overly friendly smile on his face. 

“Nice to meet you Alan, Maddie has talked about you before. All good things of course.” He extended his hand for me to shake it and I obliged without hesitation. If I even gave away that I was angry in any way with him it was not going to end well. 

“Likewise, Maddie isn’t exactly the kind of person to air her dirty laundry.” I smiled. trying to make the pleasantries a little bit better to bear. I let go of Tom’s hand and clapped my hands together. with that, I really should be going.” 

“Why don’t you-”

“Really, I have a Skype meeting with one of my superiors tonight. I also need to find myself somewhere to stay and don’t have all the time in the world.” I smiled trying to play my haste off as I was trying to not get myself fired. “Thank you for the tea Maddie, and I hope I can see you again before I leave.” 

I pushed past Tom as he seemed a little bewildered with the fact that I was rushing out. Ozzy seemed to object to this as well, blocking my path from the door with his wagging tail. 

“You can stay for dinner if you’d like…” Maddie commented as she followed me to the doorway. 

“I would love to, but how about we take a rain check?” I asked as I cocked my head to the right getting the last lace done up. “What about bowling?” 

“Deal.” 

“You didn’t say we were having guests?” It was that voice again, this time it was a little bit closer. I could see from the corner of my eye that there was something standing at the top of the staircase. The shade of dark blue jumped out at me immediately. It was unnatural to say the least, and if I got a good look at it I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my anger at bay. 

Tom turned to Maddie for a second, as though the two of them were sharing a moment of telecommunication. I could tell by the looks on their faces that they were assessing if I should be allowed to greet the little blue menace. 

“There is someone-” Tom began before I cut him off. 

“-It was nice meeting you Tom, and I will see you soon” I shut the door behind me quickly, almost slamming it. The last thing I wanted to do was make pleasantries with that thing. Maddie would probably pull it off as being something to do with my job… I am sure that she would find some way to explain my haste.

∞

I didn’t get a chance to really breath until I was a few miles away from the house. That was close. Far too close. There was no way that I was ready to find out that she was married to Wachowski let alone actually have to face him in person.

Then that thing was living in their house. That was the last thing that I needed. Rubbing my hand down my face in attempts to clear my mind I looked up to see that Surge had caught up with me. “Hey bud. Nice to see you again”. I smiled faintly before letting out a sigh. 

Now that I thought about it, I am sure that Surge had been following me at a distance. At least to try to obey the command that I had given it. However, it seems as though it finally gave up on listening to me. It’s not like anyone else was around. Surge remained hovering right beside my head, just so that I could see the edge of the white bot out of the corner of my eye. 

That was a total disaster. I wanted to spend time with Maddie to take my mind off of everything, to try to clear my mind. To remind me of a time where things weren’t so complicated. Where I was in love with someone that she would happily murder if it were legal... But of course things had to get more complicated. 

Stepping over to the mobile lab, I trudged up the stairs with Surge right on my tail. Zipping around as though it had something to show me. “Not now.. I’m going to go lie down and think about-” I stopped for a second as the door sealed behind me. I heard something, it sounded like static. 

What on earth? 

Walking over to the main console with hesitation, I looked down at a blinking light. A red light. As though something were recording.

Ivo. 

My heart began to leap into my chest, maybe he wasn’t lost forever. Maybe he was somewhere within reach. I scrambled to try to get it to play clearly, however no matter what I seemed to do it only stayed about the same. 

At one point I believe my button mashing managed to make the static worse. If of course that were even possible in the first place. Surge was hovering right beside me trying to extend its little arm to get my attention. 

I almost pushed it away before I turned to look at what Surge was trying to get me to look at. It was what looked like some kind of a tuning dial. I began twisting it back and forth, however the sound remained the same. 

My eyes welled up, maybe it was some kind of a mistake. That’s likely, wherever the doctor had been sent was likely not to be able to transmit all this way. Ivo was probably trying to reach out but was unable too. Maybe he was hurt and crying out for help in one way or another. 

Crying out and I was stuck here, so close yet so far away from him. In a momentary lapse of judgement I slammed my fist down onto the main desk. Anger was coursing through my entire system. How could he have done this to me? How could he leave me here? 

Slowly I drifted to the door, the tears I didn't know I even still had flowing to the ground. It came to a point where I felt as though my entire body were being overcome with lead. Like I couldn’t walk. 

Allowing myself to be dragged down I curled up on the ground, hugging my knees and allowing myself to start crying again. I wasn’t going to find him, there was no way that I was going to find him… He was lost. 

Throwing my head back and banging it against the doorframe, I heard the crackling sound once again. My blurred vision cleared for a second and I was able to see that Surge was still looking at the now slightly damaged console. I suppose my mechanical arm was much stronger than I had thought. 

The bot turned to look at me for a moment before returning to its work, whatever it was doing it made the sound come in clearer. A voice began to fill the room, with the static still overtop of it. But I could have recognized his breathing in a crowd if I had too. 

It was Ivo. 

Not only was he alive but he still had some of his technology, enough that he was not only able to record but also able to transmit back to the mobile lab. It seemed to be impossible, but somehow here it was. 

_We live in an impossible universe Alan._

Something fluttery caused my entire body to start trembling, not with fear of course but with what I could consider anticipation, but an anticipation that was much more intense than anything I had felt previous. I think that it was known as hope. 

Managing to stumble over to the control table, I sat down on the chair as my limbs were too shaky to be able to hold me up properly. “Keep going Surge.” I was encouraged as I turned to the panel and attempted to look at the various controls. It was as though I could somehow will them to work properly. To be able to give me the message. 

After what seemed like forever finally a message came through, sure it was broken and kinda phased out every once in a while but it was still his voice. A voice I thought I would never hear again. 

_“My grasp on sanity remains absolute…”_ It was really him, although he seemed to be different. He has been alone for however long now… I cannot imagine he has been faring well. Even if he had one of his previous creations with him. He needed human contact despite the fact that he liked to deny it all the time. 

“I can hear you.” I continued to feel the drops fall from my cheeks and land on the console. I could hear him. I felt as though I was so close to him but still so far. This one little bit of connection was leading me so far. “I can hear you Ivo. I'm coming for you…. I promise.”


	6. Batteries

There was a time when I tried to convince Ivo that it might be smart to at least have an option for his technology to run off of solar power. Because of global warming and in case of a time where he had no access to electricity. Turns out he should have listened to me. 

Yet I managed to get the ‘Doctors Logs’ that he had been making over the last little while during his time being stranded on some strange planet. He never really described it all that much, which didn’t give me a whole lot to work off of. But I could see that the battery on the control panel was fading and who knows how his device was faring. 

Once it did, there was going to be no way for me to find the doctor. 

Sure I had a basic idea of where he was from the coordinates that were being given, but these would change. Once they changed I had no chance of getting him back. The worst thing of all was that I had no idea how these teleportation devices the blue rat had worked. If I did, I could at least get more information I needed before the tech died on me. 

I was instead spending hours contemplating my options while watching the screen flicker on and off as Ivo continued to record his own ramble thoughts from wherever in the universe he was. I decided that I needed to do something to clear my head. 

Spending hours laying in bed staring up at the ceiling while grasping a pillow to my chest, I finally got sick of being awake and not doing anything. There had to be something else that I could do other than listen to the doctor recording his every single action. 

He said he would be back by Christmas, but by the sounds of things I had a feeling that it might be a little bit longer than that. Feeling tears welling up in my eyes, I forced myself to stand up, tossing the pillow aside. It still had Ivo’s scent on it, which was mildly comforting. Despite that it also felt like it was taunting me half the time. 

Digging some of my clothes from out of the drawer I got changed into something more suitable for running. Of course I struggled a little bit with getting the material to cooperate over my mechanical arm. 

Surge didn’t offer any help, which was a little strange considering it was eager to help me with everything else. Turning to look at it I shook my head. “Bad Badnik.” I snorted as I threw on a light jacket. “Come on then, let’s go for a walk.” I imitated a voice that one would do with a dog. I am sure that Ivo would have had my head if he heard me say that. 

Grabbing a small water bottle and attaching it to my belt, I took one last look at the lab before leaving. The voice was still echoing in my mind, there had to be a way... He had to be somewhere… Better yet there had to be a way to get to him. 

Taking in a deep breath and looking at what seemed the most trail-like, I started off at a decent pace. It was the first time that I had gone for a proper run since getting out of the hospital so I wasn’t expecting to go all that far. 

∞

Why did my life have to be like some shitty rom com? 

This wasn’t the time for stupid tropes and some director to take my life and make it into a film for the masses of unwed women to watch as they sit on their couches surrounded by various pets. 

Agent Alan Lee Stone was head over heels for his boss, the crazy doctor that no one else in their right mind could put up with. Doctor Ivo Robotnik. I had already sworn that I was not going to fall for someone again after the relationship that I had in college that fell to pieces. 

The last thing that I wanted was to have my heart broken again, this time by someone who could probably break me into a thousand pieces. Although part of his allure was how intimidating he could be one minute then how childish he could be the other. 

“Agent Stone.” He spoke firmly as he looked over at me from his desk. His fingers rapped on the edge of the computer screen. “Daydreaming again?” 

I snapped out of my stupor and folded my arms readjusting my position. “Yes sir.” I spoke flatly, trying not to show how frazzled I was. 

Standing up from his desk and striding over to me, Ivo stopped far too close to where I was. This was one of the first times that he had turned away from working on one of his Badniks during the whole time he had been working on it. I remember him saying that he was trying some new modifications. Which were consuming all of his time. 

“How frivolous, spending what little you have of brain power on pointless thoughts.” He cocked his head to the right, which sent my heart fluttering, and inspected me. “May I inquire as to what you were puzzling with?” 

“It was nothing sir.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. The last thing that I wanted to happen was to have him interrogate me about this. I didn’t want to have feelings for anyone and the last thing that I would want is for him to find out how I felt about him. 

“Agent…” He chuckled, getting far too close to me. “I ask you one simple thing and yet you deny me. I do not like being refused.” 

The hair on the back of my neck stood up, I could feel his breath against me. I wanted to know what his lips against mine feels like. Against my instincts however, I turned away from him. But the second I did so, his index finger guided my chin back to meet his gaze. 

“Do not turn away from me, answer my question Stone.” He snarled, he wasn’t the kind of person who liked it when others kept secrets away from him. 

My heartbeat was going a million miles a second. My mouth went dry as I opened it, trying to speak. Nothing escaped my lips; the moment when I was most desperate for an answer I was unable to provide him with one. 

“Oh agent, speechless are we?” It was almost like he could read my mind or something, we had only been working together for a few months and yet already he knew me better sometimes than I knew myself. 

“Yes…” I spoke, my voice trembling. “I know how much you love them, but don’t you miss human contact?” 

His head still cocked to the right, I swallowed the saliva in my mouth and continued on, still feeling his gloved finger on my chin. “I never enjoyed human contact.” 

“The warmth, the things your Badniks cannot provide?” 

His eyebrow raised. “Like what?” 

Wishing I had kept my mouth shut I closed the distance between the two of us, and there was something about the kiss that I hadn’t been expecting. It was so much better than in all of my daydreams. 

Gently I pulled away to look back at the doctor, the lack of shock on his face surprising. He made a strange sound, as though he weren’t completely satisfied, pulling me closer he smashed his lips against mine. 

It was clear that he was inexperienced, sloppy. Then again what else should I have expected? He did dislike anything and everything to do with human contact. At least so I thought. 

I guided my tongue to his attempting to show him what to do, which only caused a primal noise to come from him. He pushed his body against mine, pinning me to the doorway. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. If of course that was even possible. 

It was both a mix of surprise and not that he had such a lack of experience with this, however he took my guidance with every movement as our tongues danced delicately. 

Despite the fact that this was all new to him, he got the hang of it quite quickly. However it didn’t take long before he ran his hand down the inside of my suit jacket. Pulling away from him panting and pushing his hand away from I looked him in the eyes. “At least take me out for a drink first.” 

“You are a tease. But, I am taking what I want, Agent.” Our fingers intertwined, he pushed my hand against the wall and placed a hand on my hip. 

I cocked my eyebrow playfully as he leaned forward to kiss me again, however one of the bots whistled, alerting us to the door to the lab being opened. Ivo leapt away from me not realizing that we were still holding hands. 

It didn’t last for long, he took his hand from mine and strode away without looking backI was left in a daze as voices filled the lab, however I was stuck against the wall trying to figure out what just happened. 

∞

My heart was leaping out of my chest as I jumped over the various logs; this sure wasn’t anything close to being a trail. It would need a lot of touch ups, but it would theoretically make a nice running space. Especially the section that ran beside the river, getting the slight breeze from the water was nice. 

The way the water egged me on to go faster, rushing and roaring as it journeyed along its path. I could feel its strength, even watching it and trying to keep pace with it. Something which was futile in the long run. 

I could feel my lungs beginning to give out, the fire that had started in the pit of my stomach warning me that I needed to slow down. I knew I could push myself further, I had to go further… 

Try as I might I failed, finally folding in on myself and resting my hands above my knees as I panted. Sweat trickling down my face, which I wiped away with my right hand consciously. For once I actually thought about an action with my mechanical arm. 

Getting my breath back I looked up at my location, I realized I had been here before. A very long time ago. The baseball diamond. The large ruts in the ground around the main playing field were that of something which shouldn’t have been there. If it had been well tended to, the field would have never been allowed to get to such a state. 

Getting up close to the rut, I kneeled down and ran my hand along the rough edges. It was like something straight out of one of those cartoon comics. Where the character has been pacing back and forth so much that they create an indent in the floor. 

A smirk crossing my features, I allowed myself to look up at the rest of the unkept diamond. I was surprised after all that the town hadn’t bothered to touch this place up, maybe once baseball season was over they had no use for it… 

I finally stood up and shakily walked to the centre of the diamond, standing right where I had what seemed like years ago. 

Whirring from out between the trees, Surge dashed over to where I was waving back and forth slightly. There was something off about the Badnik’s movements that were alarming to me. I cocked my head to the right in curiosity. The little bot did the same thing, moving slightly so that its head was just off centre. This made me crack a smile. “Are you learning Surge?” His creator would be so proud of him. “Do you know this place?” 

I stretched out my arms and gestured to the field. I wished that I had actually asked Ivo more about his technology instead of just letting him work while I got him coffee. Maybe then I could have a better idea of how this little bot was able to learn. 

Once of course I had made the comment, Surge turned and looked at the rut. Using the scanner from the eye, Surge began inspecting the dent. Hovering about a foot above the entire diamond as it inspected it finally finished and turned back to me. Not giving any kind of answer. 

It’s not like it was a command, and weren’t they only supposed to listen to commands? Which is why Ivo loved them so much in the first place. I am honestly surprised he wanted to create such lifelike AI when in reality he wanted them to listen to him. To take orders without a question, and follow through. 

∞

“Agent Alan Stone.” Bennington spoke as he looked me up and down. As though he were some kind of a predator that was trying to figure out the best way to attack me. “It’s been a very long time since I have seen you.” 

I turned to look at him, anger radiating in my eyes. He was the last person that I wanted to speak to, andI had a job that needed to get done or the doctor would have my head. I did not need that right then, the two of us had been having enough problems as is. 

Shoving the clipboard under my arm I strode over to him and just looked right at him. “Is there something that you want? I am sure you are well aware that I have been given-”

“An assignment working for that nutcase?” Roaring laughter erupted from the other man. The last thing I wanted was to blow my top in front of him again. I gritted my teeth and took in a deep breath. 

“Doctor Robotnik is the one and only in his field of work, not only that but he has achieved so much more than you could ever dream of.” The last thing I wanted was to egg him on. I tried to walk past him but he held an arm out, stopping me. “Is there something else you want? I do have a job to do.” 

“You don’t think I know?” He cocked his head to the right playfully. How unprofessional. 

“Know about what exactly?” There are many things that he could potentially know about, the Badniks and a plethora of others. 

“That you and doctor whacko are….” He paused. “How do I say… An item?” 

My first instinct was to have my eyes go wide and slap him trying to shut down his comment right where it started before he could go around telling other people. But I didn’t. 

“I am here to be professional, this is not the time to be discussing my private life.” I pushed his arm away from me and began to walk over to the crater. He followed behind me his, hyena laughter still echoing. 

“No denial?” He hissed as he came up beside me. “You know how I feel about your kind Stone. I’ve known about you for years.” 

A chill ran down my spine upon hearing his words. I had heard this kind of language before, that was a long time ago. I had hoped that it would be long extinguished by now . My hand balling up into a fist on instinct, it took all of my power to stop myself from punching him. Enacting my revenge would not do any good for either of us. “Let me do my job.” 

“Stone!” Ivo yelled as he stood on the top stair leading out from the lab. He turned and looked at me before stepping down and striding over to me. There was just something about the way his coattails trailed behind him that always seemed like a cloud following behind him. 

My attention snapped as I turned to look at who had called me. It was kind of strange from the same man who tenderly called me by my first name as we lay in bed together, wrapped in each other's embrace. 

“I need you assistance with something.” He spoke curtly. “Once of course you have completed collecting the remainder of the data.” He muttered something under his breath about the uselessness of having to write it down on paper when his machines had taken notes perfectly well enough. 

“Of course sir, right away.” I turned back to the divot in the ground. 

“If you want to be a good plaything, you’d better beat him to the bedroom. Before of course he gets bored and decides to toss you away.”

How I managed to control myself I will never know. I tried to turn away from him my anger continuing to boil under my skin, he was bothering me. Form the smirk on his face, he knew that he was getting under my skin. 

“What's he like in bed huh?” he hissed right into my ear. My self control slowly disintagrating. “He gentle-” 

My fist connected with Bennington’s nose with a sickening crack. Surely it had broken and blood began to spill from it almost volcanically. I shook my fist out a couple times as he yelled out in agony. It was a lapse of judgement. Would I have done it again? Probably not. However it felt good at the moment. 

“Perfect form, impeccable aim.” Ivo commented as he folded his arms and watched me. I am sure he had long since noticed that Bennington was pushing my buttons. “A solid hit agent Stone.” 

“Thank you sir,” I commented before turning to Bennington who was struggling to keep the blood in his hands from his fractured nose. My fist however had become only a dull throb. I looked down at him, the anger radiating through my eyes. “Don’t you dare speak about me or Doctor Robotnik again. Or I will send one of the Badniks after you. Copy?” 

Through the gushing crimson Bennington looked up at me, his blue eyes glowing with fury. Sure I had agitated him, but I could protect myself against him. He was nothing but someone who sat behind a desk all day giving orders to his lackeys. “Copy” It sounded more like crappy, but I could make out what he said. 

Nodding curtly I turned back to my job, jumping back slightly when one of the Badniks looked down right at me. I really need to get used to those things watching me all the time, Ivo-. 

Instead of just assessing how well I was doing my job, once I pulled out the clipboard from underneath my right arm, a red light came from the bot illuminating the page. Filling in all the information that I needed. Of course it was ‘mandatory’ that I did it all manually, but it’s not like anyone would notice. 

Slowly I turned my head to look back at where Ivo was standing. He only gave me a nod and the slightest suggestion of his lips curling into a smile before crossing back to the trailer. 

∞

My mind swirled with the image of Ivo looking back at me with his eyes gleaming before turning away. The way that I had defended our honour. Our honour. What a strange concept. He would have wanted me to be there all those years ago to stand up for him against everyone who dared cross his path. Somedays that is why I figured he wanted to ask me out after all. 

Doing a one-eighty I looked back down the path from which I had came. Before however taking off once again I looked back behind me. It was as though I were expecting to see him standing there and watching me. 

Only Surge stared back at me, its unblinking eye still watching. Observing. “Let’s go back home,” I spoke before taking off once again down the path. My lungs still burned, legs protested and body ached from the strain of running for the first time in a long time. This was not the first time that I had pushed through the pain, though. It wouldn’t be the last either. 

Razor sharp, I allowed my eyes to scan the trail looking for the familiar sights. It’s not like there was much to go off of since most of the trail was still unbroken. Which added to its charm. I am sure I would have gotten sick of this town long ago if there wasn’t a sense of adventure to be had. 

I did find myself at a crossroads. With not just a fork in the road but several different passages that looked like paths I jogged on the spot while I contemplated the different options that lay ahead for me. It was like Alice in Wonderland, looking at all the ways to get to the Red Queen’s castle and deciding which route to take. This however could lead me to getting flat out lost. 

I however turned my attention to the bot hovering beside me. “Which way Surge?” I smiled as it took a few seconds to calculate. A few more than I had seen it take in the past. What on earth was it doing? 

Taking off down one of the paths, I followed in kind, my legs keeping up with the pace of the bot. After spending a couple of days together it was interesting to take note of how much we had learned from each other. It was almost as though Surge had started to learn my patterns, first of all with how fast I would go at a given time. 

With how transfixed I had become with Surge as it hovered ahead of me a few metres, I didn’t realize that we hadn’t gone the same way that we had come. Changing to a light jog from my other pace I looked around uneasily. “Where are you taking me this time?” I muttered, as my eyes scanned the area from left to right, trying to get an idea of where I was. 

The thing that bothered me was that all of my surroundings seemed brand new to me. A cold shiver ran through my entire body. Had Surge not taken my command? Maybe there was something wrong with the Bandnik? I had seen it move as though it had malfunctioned earlier. 

Once I slowed down my pace however, Surge came right back once it realized that I had lagged behind. Always learning. Always Curious. However this time I was too on edge to smile at the strange little creation. 

“What is it you want to show me, huh?” I paused for a second as I continued to keep myself moving, the last thing I wanted was to have my body cramp up in agony. “I told you to take me home, Surge!” 

Hearing the noise coming from the bot I could tell that it could sense the inflection in my voice. In other words, it knew that I was not pleased with where it was taking me. Seeing it move down slightly, it almost took a second to contemplate its next move. I raised my eyebrows as if to say just take me back you-

Zipping off once again, still not back the way that we had come, I rolled my eyes. Sure, Surge was leading me away from where I had wanted to go but there was also no way that I was going to find the lab again without the help of the little robot. 

Speeding up to catch up with my former pace that the bot was mimicking, I kept my eyes locked on every single little movement that it made. It was strange to see how smooth it hovered, which made it stand out among the natural world. Insects all moved up and down, side to side, imperfectly. 

The bushes cleared and a concrete pad became visible. I froze. My blood ran cold, I stopped running almost immediately. 

A skeleton of an overturned truck was right in the middle of a big black scar on the ground. Fire. A Treacherous fire. This must have been…. 

Shutting my eyes and shaking my head I turned to look at the bot. “I told you to take me back home!” I almost screamed as I could feel the flashes of memory beginning to rush from the depths of my mind. What I had repressed for so long was finally beginning to surface. 

It was overwhelming, the flashes of memory hitting me like I had run straight into a brick wall. It was incapacitating. The bright red, the blazing heat, the truck flipping- I banged on the side of my head with my fist. As though I could get the memories to leave the same way one got a drop of water out of their ear canal. 

Standing up and turning around I just started moving. Blindly, I could have cared less if I ran directly into the river, but being bombarded with the memories was the last thing that I needed right now. 

Just keep moving. 

Surge eventually caught up with me. 

Zipping ahead and leading me back the way that I had come, until of course we reached the familiar black mass in the middle of the green forest. I bolted up the steps and the door opened. 

Stepping inside I collapsed on the other side of the door as it shut. Sliding down with my back against it,tears were running down my cheeks. It was a dangerous thing that it captured my curiosity. I wanted to know what happened, why on earth I was now stuck with a mechanical arm. 

“What do you want, huh?” I hissed as I looked up at Surge. This was the moment where I wish that I had been given something a little more human, something with emotion that could pick up what was wrong with me. Something that might have a clue how to comfort me, something that wouldn’t have led me to the place where I lost my arm. 

The lack of response from the bot was surprising. Usually Surge was quick to whirr or show me whatever it had in mind. This time, it just stayed still. Looking directly at me. I raised my eyebrows. 

“Come on then! What do you want!” The anger in my voice was tangible. 

Surge backed up a little bit and faced the wall. The red light illuminated it as I saw a figure… Myself. 

I cocked my head to the right and pushed myself to my feet. Despite the fact that my entire body ached, the lactic acid buildup was beginning to get to me. I started stretching out my legs as I stood watching whatever Surge had to show me. 

“Is that..?” My thoughts trailed off the longer I watched the hologram. I didn’t know that the Badnik’s were able to do this, perhaps this was just something that Surge had been programmed with. It was the newest model after all. 

Watching as I sat in the back of the truck, in the distant past. It pulled over and stopped, I was about to get out the door about half open when my senses became heightened and I covered my face with my arm. 

The view I had didn’t give me answers as to what had happened, but the truck had flipped over due to whatever impact had hit it. I had been knocked to the ground and the roof of the truck had-

It had almost crushed me. If the trajectory had been followed the damaged truck should have landed right on me. However, the perspective shifted as whatever was recording moved forward. An arm extending as a handful of other Badniks emerged from around it, all gathering around to somehow push the truck off of its track. 

These creations. These wonderful creations are what saved me, and I could feel my eyes beginning to sting from the realization. Surge was the one who had led it, the others simply followed. Leading most of them to be destroyed in keeping the truck off of most of me. 

Maybe if Surge had been given some other level of emotion it would have felt bad that it had been unable to save my arm. But the fact that I was still here was a miracle. I shouldn’t be alive, but because of Ivo I still lived. 

“You.. You wonderful little robot.” That was all I could say as I looked at it with gratitude. It hadn’t just lead me here and been a companion for me but it was looking out for me. Protecting me.. Was this programming or…? 

“Surge, show me what your last command was.” I paused for a second. “Please.” I figured I may as well try to be polite after I had snapped at the poor little thing. I am sure that Surge hadn’t meant to hurt me, after all it was trying to show me something and I hadn’t been specific enough with my command previously. 

Clicking a couple of times as the other hologram shut off, the next one came to life. This one however was a little different. 

Almost appearing 3D was a model of Ivo looking directly at me. “Hello little one.” He beamed with pride as he retracted his hands from what I assumed to be Surge. The bot that he had been toying with for months on end to ensure perfection. A level of perfection that exceeded his expectations. 

I walked up to the hologram and reached my hand out, as though somehow I would be able to touch him through it… To tell him that I loved him and that I was coming for him. My eyes stung, the burning wanting to be relieved causing me to blink. However, tears refused to surface. 

“I am giving you one very important task.” He spoke as though one would speak to a child. His voice full of fluctuations that I had heard a couple of times when he was speaking to people that he was meaning to demean. He had even used that tone with me on one occasion. He stopped once I had called him out for it however. “If anything happens to me, you are tasked with looking after Alan. Can you do that for me, little one?” 

The hologram faded away, and had I been less sentient I would have begged Surge to play it again. Just to hear his voice again. To have Ivo in front of me almost tangible. So close that I could almost feel him. 

“You… You have been protecting me? That was your last command?” It seemed a little foolish after I had said it to repeat the obvious. But it seemed to solidify the idea in my mind. 

Surge just hovered, still watching me unblinking. Turns out I had been protected this entire time by what Ivo left behind for me. I stood up on shaky legs and reached out to pat the top of the Bandnik. Surge seemed to take my action with a grain of salt, still unsure as to what I was doing, but didn’t hesitate or sound as though it were uncomfortable. 

“Thank you Surge.” I let my arm drop to the ground. “I need a shower.” I commented as I turned back to the bedroom I stopped in the doorway and looked back at the hovering bot. “I think I can manage that on my own.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I decided to add another chapter. Technically it's an Epilogue, but the more I spent thinking about it the more I wanted to add. So I may as well make it its own separate entity, make life easier for my poor beta reader.


	7. Light Bike

Stargazing was his idea. Despite the fact that he loathed everything to do with the natural world, there was something about the magic of watching balls of light millions of miles away. If of course they were still shining by the time we got to see them. 

I think that to be completely honest the reason that he wanted to go stargazing in the first place was so that he would have an excuse to have his arm wrapped around me. The night air was chilly, although being able to be close to Ivo made it not worth complaining. 

It was also commendable that he thought of bringing the electric blanket with us. Rather archaic, yet still a very effective form of technology that must have put his mind at ease. I was shocked that he didn’t have one of the Badniks close by, watching to ensure the safety of both of us. 

“Thank you,” I finally spoke as my hands cupped around the cup of hot chocolate that I had made in the lab. I have to say that the new thermos mugs were quite effective at keeping in the warmth despite the chilly autumn air. 

“For?” He seemed perplexed at the thought that I might actually be genuinely thanking him for something or other. His gaze fixed on me with a puzzled look in his eyes, something I would dare say was out of character. 

Leaning my head into his shoulder with a heavy sigh and a content smile on my face, I let my eyes flutter shut. “For this... For everything.” I finally spoke after a pregnant pause filled the air. At first I didn’t know how I felt about the idea of us having a specified ‘date night’. Some part of it felt as though it was going to be too regimented, too routine. 

But it was quite the contrary. 

Knowing that we had a day picked out where one of us would have to come up with something for the both of us to do was enjoyable. It alternated every week, and it was always entertaining working to find something to do and or trying to find a way to figure out what the other was planning 

There were a couple times where one of us found out what the other had planned for date night. Which sure eliminated the secrecy and surprise, but it didn’t make the night any less enjoyable 

Most notable of these occasions was the time when I walked in on Ivo working on the date night playlist that he was putting together. He wasn’t much of a dancer when it came to partner dancing (he had a playlist named dinner for one for goodness sake), but luckily enough I remembered a thing or two from physical education in grade school. 

“This is part of the agreement we made when we became a couple, is it not?” He spoke almost as though he were one of his computers. Which was something that was not uncommon, however he was exceptionally good at it from time to time. 

Shaking my head I just looked up at him, my eyes filled with wonder . “You take me too literally Ivo.” I laughed softly as I reached up and touched the side of his face. “For everything you have done for me.” 

A pause filled the air between the two of us before he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “You should not be the one thanking me Alan, I should be the one thanking you.” 

∞

There was something serene about the lab being this quiet. A lack of music or anything for that matter was calming. Although after a while of spending time in the quiet lab, it began to eat at me. Hearing things was just the beginning of it, I had begun to turn the corner and expect the lights to be flashing with a mixture of different colours, music coming faintly from the headphones that had stood the test of time. 

But whenever I crossed into the lab from the bedroom, there was nothing but the bright white fluorescent light. The computer screens were turned off, and a couple of the other Badniks were still fast asleep in their little pods. 

I sat on the edge of the bed as I began to drown in my thoughts. I hadn’t made any progress since I first found that the batteries that were keeping the doctor’s position updated were beginning to die. Based on the battery that was used it was also a toss in the dark for how long the doctor had in the first place. 

Anywhere from days to hours. Which meant that I could assume that I had more time then I did, leading to me losing the coordinates and it being too late… 

I couldn’t think like that, as long as those batteries were still going there was still a chance that I could bring the doctor back home. Bring Ivo back to where he belonged, by my side. 

Dragging myself over to the mirror I got a look at the dark black circles under my eyes. Bringing my hands up to my face I inspected the area delicately. It was a clear symbol of how little sleep that I had gotten the last couple of days. I just let out a heavy sigh of defeat. Surge was going to keep waking me up, despite what I told him. 

Hovering up beside me Surge stared right into the mirror, and I turned around to look at the curious little bot. I was a little relieved to know that it had been following me around because it was following Ivo’s orders. Although it didn’t change the fact that I was getting a little irritated by being watched all the time. 

I thought I would get used to it, but apparently I was wrong. The unblinking red eye that always seemed to be over my shoulder still made the hair on the back of my neck stand up when I didn’t realize that it was Surge behind me. 

“Could you give me some space buddy?” I asked as I turned my head to face the bot. However it didn’t respond, just looked at me. I really do wish that Ivo had given it the ability to be able to show some kind of expression. Maybe then it would be a little easier for me to pick up on what it was processing. 

The lack of any movement from the bot led me to think that the answer was a no. I let out a defeated sigh, slamming my hands down on the small shelf below the mirror. The couple of things on it rattled, and I saw something strange in the back of the mirror. It looked like some kind of a door. 

Turning it around to investigate, it looked like some kind of hydraulic door. One that was made to keep something hidden. There was a slight fluorescent glare that came from whatever on earth was hidden behind the door. 

“What else are you hiding?” I asked no one in particular. I am sure that there were plenty of things that Ivo kept hidden around here, After all this was his evil lair as he called it. He was someone who enjoyed theatrics. In his own strange way of course. 

Slowly I approached the half open door and studied it for a second. Since it was jammed in the quarter open position I decided to just try to get it open by force. Wrapping my fingers around the door I got myself ready to start pulling it open. 

Using all the strength I had left, I managed to get the door to first budge a little bit and then finally fly open. Sending me stumbling for a couple of steps. I was thankful that I managed to catch myself before I went careening into the wall. 

I turned back to where the now opened door was and stopped dead in my tracks. I wasn’t sure what I was going to find behind the door, however this was the last thing that I was expecting. 

My eyes went wide with a mix of awe and a childish wonder. I hadn’t expected him to do something like this for me. Something that was clearly supposed to be a surprise. Maybe he was going to give this to me before… 

Slowly approaching the glass case, I could see my reflection staring right back at me, my eyes bright and dewy like some grade school kid looking into the window of a toy store. I didn’t even dare put my hand on the glass, for fear of breaking it. Despite that being next to impossible, and I had touched one identical to this not even a day ago to ensure it was clean. 

Inside the glass enclosure was what I could only describe as a uniform. A flight jacket that one would see a captain of a ship wearing during an important meeting. This however had a high collar with red at the seams highlighting the winged cut for the main body portion as well as both of the shoulder seams. 

The rest of the uniform was a dark ebony that seemed to suck the light from the surrounding area. I could only assume that woven under the main uniform jacket was a tight fitting kevlar vest, I usually had one with me in the event that I needed it. Albeit I tended to use it less and less these days. 

The pants were standard dress pants, which once again appeared to be a little bit more sturdy. Boots that were going to go mid-length up my leg to conceal a pair of twin blades were displayed to the right in a silk container. 

Something about this was all too perfect, had he made this for me? Was it suppose to be what I was supposed to wear as I was going to go after that stupid little… Maybe if I had been there instead of called off elsewhere I would have been there to help him. He wouldn’t have ended up stranded on some distant world slowly losing hope that anyone would come to find him. 

Or perhaps that was just me projecting my own thoughts onto the situation. Turning to my right, Surge was hovering beside me as it usually did. Staring right at me with its red eye puzzling over my conflicting emotions I am sure. “This was for me, wasn’t it?” I asked, not quite expecting an answer of any kind. 

Turning back to look at the cabinet there was something that I had almost missed, something huge that I was surprised I had not immediately been drawn too upon my first scan of the box. It was what looked like some kind of a helmet. Jet black with streaks of red lining the seams and an inky visor with what looked like some kind of display screen. 

Shaking my head and looking down, I saw there was a laser hand pistol as well as what looked like some kind of a beacon. I would have to check it out later, once of course I got a better idea of what everything was. And before that I needed to get a plan in place. 

There was no way in hell that I was just going to waltz up to Maddie’s house and demand that they hand me those... teleportation devices. I cannot remember that they had called them… 

Gently I pushed on the cabinet, unlocking the mechanism which swung open. It took awhile for me to gain my courage to be able to touch the material. It had a slight texture to it, rough and sturdy. My assumption about the kevlar must have been correct. Not only in a vest, but also woven into the material of the jacket. 

I turned and looked at the small beacon. I picked it up and moved it around in my hand. What on earth could it be for? Maybe it was for the prototype ship that Ivo had built? So that in the event that I needed to I would be able to pilot it? 

Flipping the beacon over, I saw that there was a single red button at the top. My temptation took over and I pressed it. The sound of a revving engine made me jump into the air. Where was it coming from? 

I bolted into the main lab and turned around to where the prototype had been stored. The other Badniks seemed to be still in their deep sleep. Unaware of the sound metres away from them. 

Stepping the remainder of the way into the small alcove my eye caught something that I never thought I would ever get the chance to see in real life. 

The sleek motorbike had red LED lights illuminating most of its prominent features. The circular wheels without any kind of hubcaps. Two hollow looking circles instead of traditional wheels. The handlebars were low, as you were meant to lie across the bike. 

Engine revving and ready to go, I was almost in shock. Carefully I walked over to the bike, it was as though this were some kind of an elaborate dream and I would wake up. This was after all the bike of my dreams, I had been transfixed with the film where they had bikes like this as a child. Something about computers and being able to actually go inside a computer was fascinating to me. Despite how dull the opening was, I loved Tron to pieces. 

Of course, once I had solidified the fact that I was going to be using a motorcycle as my main mode of transportation, my new dream had evolved. One day I was going to get myself a light cycle, and that day had come true. 

Sure, I had drawn them in the margins of my notes when I had to be sitting in those meetings with Ivo leaning over my shoulder. But I tried to not talk about the bike, especially since I had been saving up for it since I got a job. Despite this however there was no way that I had gotten any closer to actually being able to afford the coveted bike. 

Carefully I outstretched my hand and ran it over the seat, first with my mechanical hand but once I felt nothing I switched to my right hand. Exactly as I had imagined it, every single curve and angle. The only thing I needed to do in order to see if the bike was perfect was to actually ride it. 

I dashed back to the bedroom and pulled out my old road leathers, the ones that I had stored here once I had officially moved in. Despite the fact that for work they insisted I drive a car, although I always got one of my underlings to drive me. I’d rather be driving my motorcycle and they seemed to have a good enough idea of that. 

Slipping on the familiar clothing, I turned my head to the brand new helmet gleaming in the fluorescent light. Getting another look at both the uniform as well as the bike I saw how the colours matched perfectly. This was no coincidence, Ivo had truly taken care and consideration into making this for me. As much as he had the prototype… 

Instead of breaking in the new gear I took out my old helmet. It had many scuffs to it as well as one sizeable dent right in the back. Sure it could be considered to be unsafe because of said dent but I didn’t pay any mind to it. The helmet had stories to tell and to me that is all that mattered. 

Back in the main lab, I could see that there was one more issue that I had never addressed - how on earth was I going to get the bike outside? Sure, Ivo had probably thought of this. But he wasn’t here to unveil this all for me. I was stuck having to figure it out myself. I folded my arms over my chest and I held the beacon in my left hand, still unsure as to what all the different buttons meant. 

Deciding to check out the back of the lab, I walked into the darkness, hearing the engine of the bike rev as I got closer to it. Clearly it was sensitive to the beacon, at least Ivo bothered to not have a set of keys. I was notorious for losing my house keys, the last thing that I needed was to lose the key to this bike that he had spent so much time making for me. The novelty of the beacon making it something that I might actually not leave somewhere foolish. 

I flipped a switch in the back of the lab and a large mechanical groan echoed through the halls. Backing away a couple of steps I made sure that I was nowhere near the huge door that started to slowly make its way into a ramp. The cracks of tree branches were heard as the ramp was lowered into the new foliage that had taken root around the lab. 

Still suspended in mid air, the ramp was unable to make it down to the ground because of how heavy the surrounding bush had become from the weeks of neglect. Also possibly from the way that Ivo had hidden the lab in the first place. The government had not seized it, so maybe Ivo had hidden it from even them. He would be devastated after all if they managed to get their hands on the Badniks. 

Approaching where the ramp began I looked at it a little bit, this should be possible… I hit the button for the bike to start up and turned around. However, I saw something that I was not at all expecting... Coming straight for me was the bike. 

I leapt out of the way to ensure that it wouldn’t ram straight into me. Attempting to stop and failing, the bike skidded off the end of the ramp landing on the ground hard. I should have been expecting the fact that the bike would be able to drive itself. At least to the extent that I would be able to call it to me when I needed it. 

Taking a few deep breaths I climbed over the edge of the ramp and hopped down onto the earth, looking straight at the bike with its pulsating red LEDs. It was anticipating me to call it. I brought the button up so that it was at about my chest level and pressed it. 

Engine revving, the bike turned and once again started crawling over to where I was, at the same pace that it was before, but since I was expecting it it was a little less shocking. The speed slowly increased the closer it got to me. Once it got within distance of me being able to get on it leaned over slightly as though it were beckoning for me to leap onto it. 

Hesitating, I missed my chance to mount the bike and it circled away. So it wanted me to leap onto it… Strange. Once again I wish Ivo were here to explain the intricacies of his programming to me. 

Coming for me once again, the bike was a little bit slower and just before it started to dip to allow me to mount I leapt for it. Grabbing onto the handlebars clumsily, I threw myself over the side of the bike. 

Unlike a traditional motorcycle that I had spent most of my life riding, this was one where I actually lay down across it. My feet stumbled to get secured onto the petals. Fumbling and flying off even while the bike was moving at a turtle’s pace. 

After getting myself together and balanced on the new bike, I could finally release my death grip on the handlebars a little. I have got to say, this was a lot nicer than what I had been imagining. Even on the rough ground of the forest floor it moved swiftly. 

Leaning to the right, I got the bike to turn in a nice arc so that I could loop back and look at the lab. Surge flew out from the gap made by the ramp the lab had formed. I stuck my leg out to be able to hold myself and the bike up as I pulled the break. The bike came to a stop without making as much as a sound. 

Surge turned to look back at the ramp and somehow with the flash of a red light managed to tell it to go back up again. 

“If only you could fix the issue with the bushes.” I breathed out harshly at my own joke. The bike slowly purring under me, I put the visor on my helmet down. It was time to really take this baby out to see what she could do. 

I let out a whistle to get Surge’s attention. I am sure that the bot would be able to track me using the bike, as this was all the same kind of technology. Now that Surge has become more like a partner than just some kind of a robot I may as well do the due diligence of giving it a warning that I was going to leave. 

Pushing off with one of my feet, I lay back down across the bike and pushed on the thrust. It was time to see what it really could do. I had to take it slowly over the forest floor, the last thing I wanted to do was wreck the bike after only minutes of having it with me. 

Getting to the main road was going to be more difficult than I thought when I took two wrong turns. Looking down at the main panel, not only did it have all the usual information but it had an entire section about where the Badniks were. I am sure that the other square was for me to be able to communicate with Ivo… But it’s not like that would be operational. 

Surge stopped right in front of me, hovering just before the bike. If I had been going any faster I would have smacked right into it. Stopping the bike and looking up at the bot defeated I let out a breath. “Fine, show me to the road then,” I huffed as Surge bolted off. 

I kicked off once again, following behind the bot to the main road. On the concrete the bike didn’t make a shred of noise, other than of course the sound of the engine roaring as I kicked it up into the next gear. 

Shifting my weight, I pulled the bike up onto one wheel as I sped up. Effortlessly it followed through with my action and slammed back down onto the ground with ease as it zipped off. 

The feeling of the wind rushing against my body was spectacular, even going at the speed limit that was posted. Now... What on earth would it feel like to go faster? How fast could the bike go? 

My trigger finger itched to test out the limitations of my new toy, but I hesitated when I saw the large sign that indicated I was about to get into Green Hills. If I was to speed through the town I was sure as hell going to get caught. The bike would be too recognizable, it after all did not only look like a fucking light cycle but it also bared resemblance to Ivo’s prototype ship that he had been meticulously working on for the last six months. 

I would have to wait and try the bike out on the open road, then I would be able to see how much I could push her. Ivo had spared no expense, so I had a feeling that this was not your average motorbike. 

∞

“Come with me Stone.” He spoke softly as he usually did to me, however this time I could sense that there was some kind of excitement lacing his voice. There was something that he wanted to show me. 

I groped through the book that I had been reading in bed to try to place the mark where I had finished mid sentence when I had been called. There was only one problem with the lab and the main house being in the same place, and was the fact that Ivo already had trouble making a separation between work and everything else. It only made it worse. 

Throwing the book down, I grabbed my hoodie from the bedside table and threw it on over my t-shirt. I had been getting ready for bed. My light sweatpants were not at all enough to be able to shield me from the autumn air that penetrated the layers of the lab. The bedroom was the only wam place in this entire mobile truck. 

Hugging my arms around my body, I shivered into the lab and looked over at Ivo, who looked a little too happy for his own good. “Yes?” I asked, trying to hide that the cold was getting to me. 

Once he turned to look in my direction his eyes became lit with worry and he took his coat off draping it around my shoulders. There was something sweet about the gesture, since it was the last thing that I would expect from him after all. 

Slowly grabbing my shoulders and guiding me over to the blueprints he had tacked up on the wall he wrapped his arms around my torso resting his head on my shoulder. “Isn’t it beautiful?” 

I studied the blueprints carefully, he had been working on them for so long now. The infuriating part was the fact that he refused to let me look at them. He wanted me to wait until he was done. I bumped my head with his as I scanned the entire piece of paper that was almost overly lit from the fluorescent lights hanging above it. 

The ship was sleek in design, simplistic and yet elegant. It suited him, however the thing that irked me is it took a lot of reference from the bike that I had spent so long dreaming about. I tried not to show this however. “It’s beautiful Ivo, it will suit you once it’s built.” 

“That was my intention Alan,” he breathed, his voice so close to me that it sent chills down my spine. 

“You always do such good work, I don’t see why you would need my approval.” He kissed my cheek gently, still holding me but raising his head off my shoulder. 

I could hear his heart beating I was so close to him. I leaned back and wanted to rest my head on his shoulder. “Because I am sharing my life with you now Alan. My machines mean everything to me… I want to share them with you” 

Looking up at him I could see how genuine he appeared. “Thank you Ivo.” I smiled as I just tried to relax. “Now, can I go back to bed before I fall asleep in your arms?” 

Feeling his grip on me release I pulled away and turned around still gripping his coat around my shoulders. Now that we had been living together for a few months everything smelled like both of us. Although there were some things of Ivo’s that still smelt just like him. His signature black jacket being one of them. 

I grabbed his hand however. “You look tired, come with me?” I asked, probably sounding a little more flirtatious than intended. 

Walking over to me and giving me a short and sweet kiss, Ivo nodded. “Anything for you Alan.” 

∞

I tried to shake myself from the memory, but it remained in the back of my mind. It was deciding to haunt me, as though it had some kind of control over my future. 

He meant so much to me, we had finally gotten to a stable place in our relationship. One where he was finally… And then he was taken from me. Taken from me without- 

I didn’t even realize how much the bike had sped up in the moments that I had been lost in thought. My eyes widening as I glanced down at the speedometer I pulled on the break. Just as the bike had sped up without me feeling all that much the same was true about it slowing down. 

Light bike or not, she was a thing of excellent craftsmanship. I was surprised that Ivo knew just as much about cars that he did about robots, although I am sure some of the knowledge can be interchanged between both. He managed to build prototypes without too much assistance, though he wouldn’t want to admit to all those books on auto repair that I caught him hiding in the lab. 

The lights of the town came into view as I approached them, with the bike still slowing down to a crawl. Rolling through the almost deserted town was a strange sensation, although I didn’t at all regret it. One thing did catch my eye however. There was a large pothole in the middle of the road. Staring me right in the face was the evidence that Ivo had been here. 

It must have been from fighting with that blue menace. I only froze as I looked at the hole, as though I could examine it fully by just looking at it. 

A buzzing caught my attention and I looked to my right to see Surge hovering right beside me. Fear however rushed through me as I realized that the locals might have gotten a view of the Badniks. If they did, then there is a chance that they know very well who designed them and… 

_ Don't get ahead of yourself. Just tell it to go away.  _ “Go on then.” I whispered as the Badnik turned to look at me, its red eye gleaming. It seemed to be fixated on something near the small crater in the ground. 

Whirring off so that it was almost concealed by the crater I cocked my head to the right and stuck my foot out to balance the bike, which had surprisingly stayed upright for much longer than I would have expected. Balanced and aerodynamic. What else should I have expected from Ivo? 

“What now?” I grumbled, pushing off the ground and following after Surge. Zipping my bike around the side of the crater I looked around the edges, there were little bits and pieces of broken glass that had remained. Even a few shards of metal were in the crater. Surge turned to look at me, hovering up so that it was right in front of my face. 

I narrowed my eyes with frustration. “I get it, this is where he last was. But how in the hell is this supposed to help, huh?” I snarled before I realized what I had said. Looking down I propped open my visor to look at the bot. “I’m sorry okay? I just… I need some time” Kicking off from the ground again, the bike lurched forward. 

I continued down the street, trying not to look at the abandoned shops. I knew that if I looked too hard I would see the impact that was made from whatever confrontation took place here. The memories from what I knew were already too much for me to handle, the last thing that I wanted was to be haunted by my own imagination. 

Allowing the bike to crawl through the empty street I finally found a place that still had some kind of life to it. A bar. I figured that was the kind of thing that I needed in the moment. 

Pulling the bike up to one of the empty spots, I threw out my foot to balance it. The screen illuminated with a single button. One that said park, strange. I hit it with my left hand out of instinct, cursing faintly before hitting it with my right hand. I am sure Ivo would have been able to fix that… 

Hopping off the bike, it stood without anything suspending it, which was strange… Maybe it didn’t need to be balanced by my leg after all. I once again ran my hand over the seat before taking a look at the beacon in my pocket. This was going to be interesting… 

I didn’t bother taking my helmet off as I stepped through the main door of the bar,. the strangely happy sounding bell made me want to grab it and yank it down from where it was. 

Holding my breath, I could feel the eyes of every single local staring me down from where they were. If I had been more confident and not haunted by my memories I would have said something clever. Instead I just searched around the room as though I could tell them all off by just one look. 

Slowly seeing them all return to their conversations, with only a few still looking at me, I found a seat at the main bar and sat down. I took my helmet off and sat it beside me to the right. Staring straight at me was the bartender, eyes transfixed with the idea of someone strange entering his town. 

“So, what will it be stranger?” He seemed a little too friendly. Just what I needed right now. 

“Cider, dry.” I responded, my voice with as much enthusiasm as a pop bottle left out in the sun for too long. It was typical for one to go to a dive bar and order some kind of cheap beer. However I had always loathed the stuff. There was something about it that never sat right with me. 

The bartender looked surprised at how I had responded. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of-”

“Please spare me the metaphors. I came here to forget painful memories, not make new ones,” I spoke once again hearing Ivo’s voice coming from my mouth. Which only seemed to make the memories worse. 

Turning away from me with hands up in surrender, I seemed to get exactly what I wanted from him. None of the other locals seemed brave enough to approach me and actually start a conversation. It's sometimes a good thing that I come across as hostile, especially when emotional. 

Handing me a frosted mug with the amber liquid inside of it, I looked down at the bubbles as they fizzed to the surface. Now I wasn’t a complete animal so I looked up at the bartender and smiled faintly. “Thanks,” I spoke, some of the sharpness from my tongue finally gone. 

I took a sip of the drink, the way it felt going down my throat taking my mind off of the painful memories for a little while. This wasn’t the usual weekend for me, hell my usual weekends were in the middle of the week. But even then I still found time to do work, Ivo was never separated from it. Even when I managed to pull him away for a couple of hours on date night. 

“Is that your bike?” a voice spoke. I turned to look at the relatively good looking guy who had sat down beside me. 

“Yeah,” I responded cutely, trying to indicate my disinterest in a conversation. 

“You sure she is street legal?” He chuckled to himself as he nursed a half empty bottle of beer. Something told me that this wasn’t his first either. Slight irritated by the fact that this imbecile didn’t get the message, I looked over at him with a furrowed brow. 

“She was custom built by my-” Was I really going to go there? Why not… Not like this guy would ever see me again. “Boyfriend. He made it for our one year anniversary. Now is there something that I can help you with?” 

The stranger threw up his arms in surrender. “I didn’t mean any trouble. Sorry if I offended you. She’s beautiful, but you’d better not let crazy Carl see it or he will think you were conspiring with aliens or something.” 

I scoffed, taking another sip of my drink disinterestedly. “Funny. Real funny” The drink was the only thing keeping me remotely invested in this conversation. 

“Dead serious, he was talking about this blue-”

I threw my hand up trying to get him to stop talking. “The last thing I want to hear about is some jackass talking about aliens.” The fake smile on my face seemed to be enough to get the stranger to leave me alone. 

But then the door burst open and what appeared to be the real life incarnation of a stereotypical conspiracy theorist one would see on the discovery channel at 3 o’clock in the morning bumbled through the door. That’s when I knew that this was going to get interesting.

“Who’s Tron bike is outside?” He announced as he looked around the bar. I spun around in the stool I was in and held my drink in my left hand as I stared this guy down. 

“That would be me.” I put a fake smile on my face trying to ward him off. “Me and my new pal over here were just talking about it.” The stranger seemed to be a little more frightened of me after that. Bearing your teeth like a rabid dog always seemed to do the trick. 

“You either spent a large chunk of change on it, or-”

“-I stole it from the movie. Now is there something else that you would like, or…?” The stranger who had previously tried talking to me had officially become too scared of me and decided to give me the space that I had been begging for. 

“You look awful familiar.” 

“Do I now?” I took another sip of the drink in my hand, I had a feeling that this was going to go from bad to worse. Especially if this whack job recognized me somehow. 

“Aren’t you the little flunky to that government nutcase that came through here a while ago?” My anger was beginning to boil. No one talked about Ivo like that, at least and lived to tell the tale. Also, this idiot thinks that he can call Ivo a nutcase... 

“I would shut your mouth if I were you before you say something you regret, dumbass David.” I was vicious. More so than I had been in a very long time, then again I had also been listening to someone who had probably done one of his PhDs in insulting others. 

Straightening up and looking me up and down, dumbass David seemed to want to start an arbitrary bar fight. “It is you, isn’t it? Poor assistant like some lost puppy without his master.” His voice adopted a mocking tone “My master was thrown into some magical ring and I am stuck chasing my tail without him.” I took the final sip from the mug and stood up. 

“Take that back.” I hissed in warning as I approached him. “Also fucking grovel for the comment you made about my boyfriend.” My mechanical arm was beginning to strain from how hard I had been gripping the mug. 

“Not only are you sucking up to him, but you are really sucking-” With all the force I could I whacked the mug into the side of his head. It shattered and the stranger collapsed to the ground. 

“I warned you.” 

“Fucking fa-” I immediately kicked the stranger upside the head. 

I crouched down so that I was on his level dropping the handle of the mug. it clattered to the floor. “Shove that tinfoil hat up your ass, and if I ever catch you insulting Ivo again I will end your pathetic existence. Any questions?” 

His head thudding onto the ground, I stood back up and looked down at him, restraining myself from kicking him multiple times. “That’s what I thought,” I muttered. Turning back to the bar, I saw the look on the bartenders face. I picked up my helmet and left a fifty dollar bill on the counter. “Keep the change.” 

∞

I actually felt good leaving the bar, having made some good memories to replace the painful ones. I would have to thank Ivo for all of the training in giving people insults that he had given me over the years. 

The wind skipping around me, I noticed Surge not too far off from where I was, dodging up and down. It seemed pretty thrilled with itself, getting a better view of the world. Strange curious little robot. 

Previously I had decided that I wanted to push this bike to the limits, to see how fast she could go even without a quill from the little alien. Pushing the thruster as much as I could I could hear the engine beginning to strain. 

Wind whipping around me, I once again brought the bike up onto its back wheel before letting it slam back onto the ground. The bike gained speed with ease, the engine still whining as I began to push it to its limits. 

I could feel the tears beginning to sting my eyes as I continued pushing the bike forward. He had almost called me… The memory stung at the back of my mind. I tried to push it away using the force from how fast I was moving. Pushing at about 130, which seemed impossible on the other bike. 

However my mind finally cleared when I saw the red and blue lights flashing behind me. Shit. 

Not only had Tom and his sidekick taken my love from me, he was going to give me a speeding ticket? Or maybe even attempt to impound my bike. Which was the last thing that I would allow. This was something that Ivo made for me, and I wasn’t going to let anyone take that from me now. 

Slowly I allowed the bike to slow down so that the police car could catch up to me. However instead of pulling over like a good little boy I hit the breaks, sliding over into the left lane to prevent the cop car from hitting me. 

I managed to match the speed so that I could get a good look at whomever was driving. The window rolled down slowly till it got to about half way. It was the deputy. My eyes narrowed as my determination set in. I was not going to pull over for this oaf. If anyone was going to take my bike from me it wasn’t going to be him. 

“Pull over!” he commanded, his voice shaking faintly from his own insecurity. 

“Pull over my ass,” I snarled under my breath as I hit the gas once again, allowing the bike to speed up. “Time to go dark.” I turned off the LEDs on the bike using the control pad. The entire thing went dark. The lack of streetlights as well made it difficult to see what was going on around me. 

Pulling the bike off the road I decided that I was going to have a little fun with this guy before ending this little charade. Turning a few of the lights back on so that I had visibility, I dashed through the forest. 

Looking to my right every one in a while, I got a view of the flashing lights. He was still trying to tail me. He still hadn’t caught on that I was no longer on the road. Leaping the bike over a fallen log, I switched the lights back on once again. Maybe this time he could get a full view of me. 

“In the name of the Green Hills police department, pull over!” He once again attempted a pitiful command. Not even a well trained service dog would listen to him. I only allowed a smug grin to play on my features as I brought the bike up and over a small hill and back onto the road. 

Lovingly I once again appeared to his left drivers side. Flashing him the middle finger as I sped up. Over at the horizon, I could see that there were car’s headlights beginning to come over the top of a hill. 

“You’d better pull over before you kill someone!” 

Likely story. For all you know you would have killed Ivo without a second thought, heaven forbid he take your master away from you. I gritted my teeth with determination as I revved the engine, still going at an almost impossible speed. 

If anything I was going to lose the deputy in a little while. Which would be impressive, but I wanted to end this guy myself. 

White metal glinting from the red and blue lights alerted me to Surge still keeping an eye on me. If anything, seeing the little bot made me want to turn back to the lab, but the anger that burned in the pit of my stomach told me a different story. 

Rapidly approaching headlights caused the deputy to get a look of worry on his face. As if he would be worried about me, not the poor unsuspecting driver whose what he should be concerned about as I began to speed up more and more. 

When the car was about twenty metres ahead I could hear the horn start blaring. My hand growing tighter around the accelerator I sped the bike up, popped it onto one wheel and dodged into the right lane, just missing the car by a fraction of a second. 

Ha! I cheered to myself faintly as I switched off the lights and once again dodged back into the forest.

Now there was one thing about this bike that must have been programmed somewhere, or else it would not be a light bike. Something essential that I once told Ivo about when he got me on the topic of my dream ride all those months ago. 

Watching the police car slowing down and the deputy scanning the area with confusion on his features as he matched the speed limit, I waited for the right moment. 

Crossing the sign that welcomed unsuspecting victims to Green Hills, I hit the accelerator and flashed on the LEDs. Now was the time. 

Glancing down at the control panel I saw that there was the control for it, the thing that made this bike different from any other motorcycle or light bike impersonator.

Leaning left sharply I rushed back into the road with a laser trail following behind me. I whooped as I turned behind me and saw that it actually worked. Ivo actually got it to work. In my split seconds of not focusing I had to weave in and out to avoid missing a couple of trees. 

I allowed the bike to slow once I heard the satisfying sound of the car smashing into the residue that the laser left. Bingo. I got him. I switched off the trail feature as I got back to the road. 

Positioning myself right in front of the hardened red mass, I brought the bike to a standstill. 

Stumbling out of the wrecked car, the deputy looked around as though the perpetrator were flying around his head like a fly. “What in the sam hell?” he cursed, and I felt as though his mother would put soap in his mouth for that one. 

I revved the engine, Surge coming right over to me and hovering beside my head making a few satisfied chirps. 

Turning to look at me with childish anger on his features I was tempted to fire out some mocking comment about how he was mad the big kids broke his favourite toy. Instead however, I brought up my mechanical hand into a hang loose sign, flashing it back and forth for a few seconds. 

Once I was done with gloating my victory, I decided to tell him how I felt about him. Taking both of my hands off of the handlebars I flipped him the double bird. Suck it, idiot. This was the most vulgar and teen like I had been in a very long time. Not necessarily something that I was proud of. 

“You will pay for that.” He growled, bringing up the pistol from his belt and aiming it at the wall I had built between the two of us. A shot rang out and the mass began to crack. This was my sign to leave. 

Surge seemed to agree as it began to make rushed whirring sounds and it gestured for me to turn the bike into the forest and allow it to lead the way back. 

Revving the engine for a final time, I took off back into the forest as several shots followed behind me. He wasn’t going to be able to track me. I didn’t have any plates on the bike, nor had he been able to get any shots on me…. 

I blindly followed Surge into the night as I switched off the main LEDs on the bike, the last thing I wanted was some wise guy deciding to follow me into the woods… I needed some time away from those small town hicks. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of term had drained me of all of my creative energy, both myself and my beta reader probably put too much effort into polishing this up.   
> Just as an update: the fic is basically finished being written. I just need to do some major rewrites. If all goes according to plan I should have it all posted by the end of next week.


	8. Rings to Infinity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings are in the tags, but the homophobic language appears here. Just beware my beautiful people.

Laughter rang in my ears. The taunting, over and over and over again. I thrashed against the sea of arms holding me down, my back scratching against the concrete. “You fucking f*****,” the voice snarled. 

Even I didn’t stand a chance when they all jumped me. I might have if I had been more vigilant, but the fact that my judgement was clouded made me an easy target. I am sure that they knew this well enough. 

The gleam of the metal caught my eye andmade the thrashing all the more intense. I needed to escape. I tried screaming but it was no use, they had tied a ripped t-shirt around my head. “Your kind is disgusting.”

“You don’t belong.”

“I will make sure that no one will ever love you.” The leader straddled my hips, ensuring that I stayed on the ground. He was stronger than he looked, although his lackey’s helped ensure that my struggling was futile. “Although did you really think that anyone would ever love someone like you?” 

“You are disgusting,” one of the lackey’s whispered, and I could feel my eyes stinging. How did they know...

“Why don’t we start with your chest?” 

The knife came down and red hot pain rushed through me causing me to let out a pathetic scream muffled by the rag. It was agony. I tried thrashing but it only made the pain worse.

I should never have taken the dare. I should never have been here… No one was coming for me... and I hadn’t even told anyone. 

No one was coming for me. I was going to die here, left to bleed to death. The cold hard fear rushed through my entire system. Jolting me back into thrashing for my life…. 

Cold sweat dripped down my forehead and my eyes snapped open. I was yelling when I woke up, my voice raised past what I thought possible in my sleep. The bedsheets were strewn about all over the place. I quickly sat up and curled into a ball hugging my knees. Of course I didn’t bother looking over to the pensive gaze looking right at me. 

“Were you having nightmares Alan?” Ivo asked, his voice calm and sweet. Laced with genuine concern that I had only heard a few times. I had a feeling that he didn’t need an answer. He just put his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. 

I tried closing my eyes again, but the flashes of those cruel thugs kept coming back to me. Eventually I rested my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. His hand was running up and down the length of my arm. 

After the time he had an accident in the lab, it seemed as though he picked up on what I did to try to comfort him in his time of need and was repaying the favour. “What was it about?” 

There was genuine curiosity in his voice. Something that was rare, yet still extremely special to me. However I couldn’t allow myself to answer his question. There was something about that one little part in my past that I wasn’t ready to tell him, hell to date I had only told the police. My parents only knew about what they had told them which wasn’t much. 

A lengthy silence had passed, Ivo still running his hand along my arm. I turned my head so that I could see the intricate tattoo on the upper part of his arm, a piece of him that matched his precious machines. “I don’t like secrets…” 

I closed my eyes, feeling tears well up in the corners, this time not from the lingering memory of the dream. “I know, I’m sorry-”

“- but you aren’t ready. I know what that is like.” He paused for what seemed like an eternity, but I didn’t add anything because I knew that there was something on the tip of his tongue. “I’m not really an orphan.” 

Of all things that I was expecting him to do, opening up to me like this was the last thing that I anticipated. “What?” I was almost aghast, unsure of what else to say to him. 

“They neglected me and I was taken away.” He has never been this open with me before. In this moment he was more vulnerable than when he was intimate with me. “It is easier to pretend that they died rather than think about the fact that they are out there happily pretending I never…” 

Against my better judgement I leaned forward and kissed him gently. “‘I’m sorry... I’m so so sorry.” I responded curling up against him, kissing his jawline. There was no response from him, nor was there any pushback. He just seemed almost frozen in place. “I love you, I love you so much.” 

He closed his eyes, clearly trying to block out the memories. “I know you do.” His classic response, there was something about repeating the gesture that was too foreign to him so he only saved it for certain occasions. 

“I will never abandon or forget about you. I swear on everything I have ever stood for.” I intertwined our fingers with my left hand and his right, gently running my thumb over his knuckles. “I love you more than anything…. I will always be empty without you.” 

Pausing for a second, Ivo rested his chin on the top of my head as I rested it on his chest. “Remember that school bully?” 

“How could I forget? He had his jaw held together with wire for a year.” 

“If anyone, I mean anyone hurts you in any way, I will make sure that they will never walk again.” I could hear the genuine anger in his voice. It was almost as though he was sending the threat out to the universe. If it even dared send someone with malicious intent my way. 

It’s funny knowing that you have someone like him protecting you. “Yourself, or will you get one of the Badniks to do it?” I asked, genuinely curious. 

“This is a world where technology and intellect will outlive brawn. However, if someone lays a finger on you I will have no choice but to do my own grunt work.” 

Memories of the dream fading away I smiled knowing that now I could be protected from those nasty dreams. Someone was looking out for me. Someone who I could easily spend the rest of my life with. “That’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.” 

∞

Ivo was the only person who looked at the scar without any kind of pity in his eyes. Instead he looked at it as a part of me, a piece of me that I was never brave enough to reveal the truth of. If he came back… I would have to be brave enough to tell him. He was brave enough to tell me something about his past, it’s the least that I can do. 

Looking at myself in the mirror I held up the picture that Maddie and I had shared for years. It had faded over the years of being in my wallet at all times, but it still managed to capture the vibrance of that night. The friendship that the two of us shared. 

I knew what I had to do… The only way that I was going to get Ivo back was to find what sent him to the other world in the first place. 

Dumbass David as I had affectionately named him had called them rings. I assumed that they were something that I was going to know the second that I saw them. But it meant that I was going to have to break into the house. Maddie’s house. 

I slammed my mechanical hand on the sink in anger. I knew what I had to do yet I was still unwilling. Rushing out from the bathroom I practically ran into the lab, crashing into a very flustered Surge on the way. 

The little bot moved up and down out of confusion before following closely behind me. I tried to calm myself down by thinking this through logically, there had to be a way for me to get those rings without someone noticing my presence. 

There had to be a way. I looked up at Surge. Sure I could have sent the bot in, but the way that Surge had listened so well to my previous commands made me think that it was a bad idea. One mistake and everything could go up in flames. I just wanted a couple of the rings, that’s it. Once I got them I could leave. 

And Maddie... if I sent the bot after her I would be risking her life. Surge really was starting to not like to listen to me. Perhaps it was because I wasn’t Ivo, it’s not like he told the bot to obey my commands. 

I turned back to the main console of the computer. There was something that immediately caught my eye. The blinking red light that had indicated the dying battery changed into the thing that I had been dreading.

The batteries had officially died. My mouth hung open, my eyes were staring as though somehow I could bring it back to life. The one thing that was connecting me to Ivo and I lost it, lost him. 

Whatever I was going to do, I had to do it now. Or else I could risk not being able to find the doctor on whatever world he was stranded. Either that or something more sinister could be happening to him right now. 

My eyes moved down to the picture held in my mechanical arm, and I put it down on the computer. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry,” I muttered as I shut my eyes, turning back to the bedroom, leaving the picture where it was. 

Pushing down on the shelf beneath the mirror, I turned immediately around to see the hidden door slide open. With a second the fluorescent lights flicked on and illuminated the suit that Ivo had given me. 

I strided slowly over to it, my reflection gleaming in the polished glass. Gently I pushed on the glass in the same place I had before, careful not to make another mark on it. Hesitating for a second, I grabbed the clothes. Time to get changed. 

Unsurprisingly, they all fit perfectly. The jacket hugged my features, the kevlar vest under it as well. I was extra protected with the kevlar woven into all of the material. Sure it wouldn’t do all that much more than the vest, but it added some extra flare. 

I slipped the beautiful knives into the designated slots in the boots. Everything was so flawless, if anything there was something more about the elegance of the new uniform that seemed to almost outmatch the flight suit that Ivo had designed. Maybe this was his way of thanking me. 

Either way, it was one of the most amazing anniversary gifts that anyone could ask for. 

Slipping the laser pistol onto the built in belt in the dress pants and throwing the motorcycle helmet under my arm, I shut the cabinet and the sliding door slowly followed behind it. Sending a resounding click throughout the bedroom. 

After one final look over I turned and left. Stepping into the lab I stood in the doorway where the stairs came out. Taking a second to ensure that I was standing up straight, I gave the vocal command. “Stairs, down,” I spoke as I heard Surge fly up beside me, gently whirring in my ear. I turned and looked over at the bot as the stairs slowly folded down. 

The amount of times that I had seen Ivo do this made a chill run down my spine. Not only was I going to reflect what he had done millions of times before, but this time I was going to be the one going after him. Something that was almost unthinkable considering they had all wanted to pretend that he never existed. Why would they risk sending someone, especially one of their best agents, after someone they would much rather forget about entirely? 

I put the helmet on as soon as I felt my boots hit the solid ground. The stairs slowly beginning to fold back up behind me. The display screen illuminated, and I turned to the back of the mobile lab. Hitting the button on the beacon the revving engine was heard from behind the door.

Surge had hovered up to the top of the ramp, activating the switch so that the ramp would fold down. Slowly but surely it got a little further than the last time that it had folded down. 

Pressing the button once again, the bike shot out from the ramp. Skidding and turning around the bike came right at me as it had done before. Prepping myself, I bent my knees as the bike sped past me, slowing down just enough for me to leap onto it. 

After a few clumsy seconds of adjusting to both the new getup as well as trying to leap onto the bike while it was still moving I turned to look at Surge. The ramp shut as the bot turned to look at me, and I nodded faintly in turn. 

I knew where I had to go, luckily I had been there before. The sunset was beginning to fold over the horizon, so at least I would have the cloak of darkness should they be home. I could hide for a while until they went to sleep. But where would I even start? 

Pushing off the ground, I lurched the bike forward. The fight from last night came flooding back to me. There was something about getting back at the deputy like that which I found satisfying. He probably had something to do with Ivo’s disappearance. He would do anything for Wachowski. Why not get rid of someone who was trying to kill him? 

Revving the engine, I pulled the bike up onto one wheel as I pulled out onto the road. I would have to turn the lights off when I got close to the house, but for now I was going to enjoy being on the light cycle. 

The sunset to my right, I could feel every single little bump in the road as I soared across it. Despite this however, the position that the bike had me sitting in made me feel like I was flying. Surge was close beside me, unsurprisingly not at all struggling to keep up. 

I rolled up to the house just as the sun had faded and the world had turned a lovely shade of navy blue. Out of instinct I put my foot down to balance the bike, still concealed in the bushes. 

The longer that I stayed outside the house and saw no activity, the more I came to believe that no-one was home. Relief washed over me, the confrontation that I had been dreading might not come to pass. 

Throwing my leg over the side of the bike I crouched down trying to still stay hidden in the shadows to eliminate the chance of being seen if they decided to come home. Which they could at any second given I had no idea what their plans were or what on earth they were doing. 

Remaining by my side, Surge made the customary whirr. Slowly the red eye followed my movement as it watched me. “Go check it out…” I whispered wishing that I had access to the command gloves, that would make things so much easier for me. 

Dipping faintly, as though it were nodding in response to me, Surge flew off to the direction of the house. It was strange, the more the little bot stayed around me and observed me the more it learned. I really do believe that Ivo had programmed it to learn from me… If only it were more obedient.

∞

Ivo had been watching me as I had been stretching after coming back from running through the countryside. Looking for supposed ‘lethal weapons’ had been taxing on both of us. Especially because of how last minute it all was. Thank heavens that he had let me at least shower here so that I could still have a morning run. 

His arms folded and his brow furrowed in concentration, the gears in his mind were clearly turning. Holding the top of my foot and bending it behind my back I took in a deep breath trying to calm my racing heart. This being one of the few times that it wasn’t caused because of the way that the doctor was looking at me. 

“What is your first name?” 

I don’t know if it was the tone in his voice or the fact that he actually asked me a question that shocked me more. Doctor Ivo Robotnik never showed any kind of interest in m. I was his assistant, or more like glorified babysitter according to Walters. He made sure that I knew that my rank was nothing compared to him. That I was a lowlife, nothing I could ever do would ever live up to- 

“You aren’t still out of breath. What is your first name? And don’t tell me its agent, I have been told that joke far too many times to find it amusing.” There was sincerity in his voice. Something that was all new to me… 

I stood up straight, the sweat dripping down my forehead that I had tried to wipe away with the cloth around my neck. However every time I tried it only seemed to come right back but doubling the amount. Even in the lab that was constantly cool to ensure that the bots wouldn’t overheat. “No no… It’s just... You have never shown interest in anything past my paperwork skills before.” 

“Answer my question and don’t make me regret asking.” He leaned back in the chair that he had spent so many hours working in. 

“Alan.” I smiled faintly. There had to be a chance that he already knew my first name, he had been given my file when I was assigned to him in the first place. Maybe he just wanted to hear me say it? Or perhaps he thought it trivial and didn’t bother learning anything more than agent Stone. 

Ivo seemed to stop for a moment. I was expecting some kind of quick retort from him like I had grown so accustomed too. But instead he just kinda sat lost in thought, processing this new information. “Like Alan Turing.” 

A smile crawling on the edge of my features I looked at him in awe. “I wish.” I responded. “Instead I was named after a family friend, but I like to think that I was named after Alan Turing.” 

“Alan Turing was a com-.” Ivo had been expecting that I would ask who that was, which I suppose is to be expected. Not a lot of people knew about him after all. Someone who thanklessly saved thousands only to be treated like a criminal. “You know who Alan Turing was?” 

“Father of the computer. Prosecuted Homosexual. Of course I know who Alan Turing was.” I had completely forgotten about stretching. The fact that I was having this moment of connection with my boss that I had been crushing on for a couple of months was rare and I wasn’t planning on wasting it. “One of my personal heroes actually.” 

Eyes lighting up like I had only seen when one of his Badniks managed to function perfectly as he had planned out, he leaned forward . “Maybe one of these days I can create a Badnik that can break the Turing test.” He swirled around his chair back to facing the computer screen. Clearly once again pretending as though he had lost interest in the conversation. 

“If you need anything I will be in the shower.” I turned to the doctors personal quarters, still feeling myself blush as I stepped into it. It was entering into a space that was supposed to be his. If anything, I wished there was some other way for me to have a shower that didn’t involve me having to invade this space. 

∞

Unsurprisingly the front door to the house was locked. Of course Tom would do such a thing, he was a cop after all. I wouldn’t expect anything less from him. I had kept the visor for the bike down as well. It was the only thing that was covering my face, the last thing that I would want is for him to catch me on video. 

This also meant that I was under the assumption that this small town cop decided that he wanted to keep video cameras around his house. Which did seem to make sense, although if he didn’t have faith that his own town was safe how much faith did he have in himself in keeping it safe? 

Picking locks was something that we had to learn in basic training. Despite the fact that it was a skill that I didn’t often pride myself on. Sure I had taken the time to learn it because it was mandatory, but it’s not like I would go around saying that I was the best in my lock picking class. 

Bingo. The satisfying sound of the deadbolt sliding slowly back into place was music to my ears. I let out the breath that I was holding as I slowly allowed the door to swing open. No alarm system, I guess Tom did have some faith in his community after all. I was careful to shut the door behind me now that I was in the darkened house. 

The final thing that would really make this visor- . As though it were on cue, it appeared on the screen. Night vision. I would have been shocked if there was something this crucial that Ivo had missed. He wasn’t exactly the person who often missed things like that…. 

Stopping my mind from wandering any further I knew I needed to focus. A deep inhale and exhale focused my mind back to the task at hand. If I was too distracted by the thought of Ivo returning I might never see him again. I and I alone could bring him back… 

Now that the house had been infiltrated, the next task on my list was actually finding what I needed. Theoretically this entire endeavour shouldn’t last all that long. Although not having a clue where to start was a puzzle. I looked around the house that was still laregly unfamiliar to me. 

Zipping past me with its customary whirr, Surge almost knocked me over as it bolted up the stairs. Pausing at the landing, turning around and looking directly at me, I could sense that the little creation wanted me to follow it. 

“Alright alright.” I took a few hurried steps up the stairs before the bot zipped off again. I attempted to keep my footsteps light as I walked up. It’s not like there was any sense in trying to alert everyone that there was an intruder in the house. 

I was led to a hallway where Surge indicated to what looked like an attic hatch. Sure this would be all too convenient, but the bot had been here before… at least sort of. Ivo had been here looking for the creature and I know that the bots shared some kind of network where all of them had the same memory files. Although I have a feeling that Ivo had given Surge something a little extra special. 

Raising my hand I pulled the staircase to the attic down. It creaked and groaned, showing the age of the house. Maybe Ivo should have destroyed it a little more so that Maddie could have moved somewhere of actual quality. 

The stairs leading to the attic were just as temperamental as I put my weight onto them, still trying to be as cautious as possible about remaining silent. I was so close, I was going to bring Ivo home to me again. My head breaking the threshold I could see that I had found exactly what I was looking for. 

A messy room that reflected that of a teenage boy but still a bit homely suited the little blue menace. The odd decor and the fairy lights all seemed very out of place. Maybe if this thing had ended up in the lab, it would have spared the world from this insult to all things interior decorating. 

The worst of all was the dirt stained bean bag chair, barely holding together, which took the honour of being the centrepiece of the room. I put my hands on my hips, even I had something a little more sensible. Hormonal teenagers wouldn’t fuck on this sad excuse for furniture. 

Rolling my eyes and turning my head to look over at Surge I allowed a slight smile to cross onto my face. “At least Ivo knows how to decorate.” I gently patted the bot before crossing to one of the walls. 

Cocking my head to the right with curiosity, I reached forward and grabbed a polaroid image that was tacked onto the wooden wall. Not only did it contain the blue creature himself, but it also had what looked like a comically coloured fox. I studied the image for a little while longer before I heard a high pitched noise. 

Surge. 

Of course, always keeping me on track. Without thinking I dropped the photo and continued to scan the room. In reality I had no idea what on earth I was supposed to be looking for in the first place. Whatever they were, strings of some kind... I do regret not making that bumbling idiot elaborate further on what had taken Ivo from me. 

After searching the small room begrudgingly, without a single clue as to what I was looking for, I stood right in the middle, clueless. What on earth was I going to do? I was really tempted to walk back out of the house, to throw in the towel and try to take my old job back. Maybe Walters would be lenient, I was one of the best agents that they had. Why on earth would they assign me to one of the government’s most valuable assets if I wasn’t? 

If I was one of the best agents that they had, I was not going to let myself be beaten by some stupid blue hedgehog. A creature that had taken everything from me with one fell swoop. My anger ruling my drive, I turned to Surge. 

“You must have seen them, or at least have the memory… What do they look like?” I asked as I looked over at the bot that was scanning the room meticulously with its red gleaming eye. There was something so admirable about the focus of the bot, it really had learned from the best. 

A shrill beep knocked me from my stupor and I looked at Surge locked on to its target. A small brown bag that was tossed aside into a corner. Discarded and forgotten. 

Slowly I approached it, kneeling down and picking it up in my gloved hand. Turning it around in my hand I could see the duct tape across it haphazardly with the words “Emergency use only”. Pulling the leather drawstrings apart I revealed the objects that were inside. 

The gold rings. 

Putting my hand into the bag I pulled out a handful of them, awe and wonder filling my eyes. I barely even heard the sound that Surge had made. It had become agitated and bared its weapons to some unseen foe. 

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” A familiar voice spoke as I stood up and turned around, the bag still clutched in my hand. 

I towered over the creature that was looking at me, one ear flopped to the side as a confused dog would, with an odd expression on its face. I didn’t have an answer for it, but I needed to think of something quick. 

“I am here to return something you stole from me.” I clenched the bag in my fist as I took a few steps forward. I was going to have to introduce myself, so I spat out the first thing that came to mind. “My name is Obsidian.” I used my left hand to reach for the laser pistol, but Surge was the one who fired first.

Instead of firing at the target that was staring me down with the piercing green eyes, Surge fired a hole in one of the small windows. 

“Sonic? Sonic! What’s going on!” It was Wachowski. My eyes narrowed. I was glad I had kept my visor on. I had been caught red handed, but as long as I kept my identity hidden Maddie would never have to know. 

“What are you doing with those-” the creature began before I turned and jumped out the window. As I did so, I almost collided mid air with a yellow-orange blur. Yelping in fright, both me and the other strange creature got out of each other's way at the same time. 

Surge got close to me so that I could swing an arm around it, allowing the bot to slow my fall till I hit the ground. I had the element of surprise on my side and I wasn’t going to let that get away from me. 

Pressing the button on the beacon once I had placed the laser pistol back on my belt I heard the bike revving its engine and beginning to come right for me. As I had practiced I leapt onto the moving bike, slowly bringing it to a halt and looking up at the two creatures that stared down at me with awe in their eyes. 

“Bring those back! They don’t belong to you!” A blue cloud made its way down to the ground and the creature looked directly at me as though I was going to hand him the rings just because he told me that he wanted them back. 

Turning the bike around and ensuring that the LEDs had been turned off I held up the bag for a second, my head turned to look at both of the alien creatures. “You are going to have to catch me first.” I kicked off the ground and pulled the bike onto one wheel. 

Still not familiar with the feeling of laying across the bike, I grasped the bag in my hand as though it were the thing that was going to keep me alive. It was the only thing that was going to bring Ivo back, so it was kind of a life and death matter. 

No matter how much wishful thinking I used, there was no possible way that I would be able to outrun the little blue rat. Maybe I would have stood a chance if I had the quill that Ivo had utilized to increase the abilities that the prototype already had. 

However, there was something else that I had up my sleeve. Turning to my left I saw that Surge was keeping up with me without trouble at all, not a single strain. Once I caught a glimpse of the blue blur in my rearview mirror, I decided it was time. 

“Surge, hologram.” I spoke clearly, however my visor responded with the command input. There was something about it that seemed a little bit anti-climactic. The second that I spoke the bot turned its eye to look over at me for a split second before I saw a mirror image of myself. I felt my lips curl into a smirk. He was getting closer so I had to act fast. 

Slowly dipping my head to the left, Surge picked up on the non-verbal command. Which was something that honestly surprised me. Although, before I could think the hologram was zipping off down one of the side streets. 

I was going to get close to the town quickly, and I needed a plan. I wasn’t going to outrun this thing… 

Catching the dirt path that I had come so accustomed to while out on my joyrides, I shut off the LED’s and immediately swerved over to it. I narrowly missed wiping out on a fallen log that had slipped my mind momentarily. 

Out of the corner of my eye I could see what looked like something orange following me, which I immediately found odd before I remembered that there was that strange other creature that I had almost collided with as I had made my escape through the window. 

I suppose that is what else was in the picture. I was curious as to what it was, but it’s not like I was just going to stand around and ask. There were much more pressing matters at hand. 

Pulling the bike around I slowly brought it to a standstill, and I watched as the creature looked around almost clueless as to where I had gone. Sitting up I continued to watch it for a little while. The first thing that caught my eye was the unusual two bushy tails that the animal sported. If this had been another situation it looked like something that I might take interest in. 

Instead of allowing myself to gawk at the two-tailed creature, I revved the engine and sped back down the trail towards it. Pushing the button once again, heated by the laser, whatever the substance was that stood in as the ‘light wall’ came from the back of the bike. Forming a barrier as the creature squeaked in surprise. 

Before getting the chance to watch it react, I sped towards the town. Ensuring of course that I had disengaged the trail that was supposed to mimic that of the light cycle. Sure I had sent Surge to be attacked by that little blue thing, but I wasn’t just going to abandon it there. I had become too attached to the last piece of Ivo that I had left to just leave it to be destroyed. 

Anger and adrenaline fuelling me, I shifted the thrust so that the bike would speed up as I came into town. Zipping in and out of the side streets left me unable to find either one of the two things that I was looking for. However I heard what sounded like some kind of a distress cry and lurched the bike forward. 

Looking up, I could see what looked exactly like a red SOS flair. I didn’t realize that Ivo had programmed that feature, perhaps it was something new that just Surge possessed. Almost ramming into a group of pedestrians I bolted out into the street seeing the poor little thing in distress. Hopping off the bike I took out the laser pistol and aimed it straight at the blue rat. 

“This is for Ivo you little blue son of a-” I hissed under my breath before I felt my hand being shot at by someone else. It was my mechanical hand, which was fortunate. I release the pistol as the gaping hole in my mechanical arm left the fingers malfunctioning. I turned and saw that it was Wachowski holding his handgun. 

The laser pistol clattered to the ground and I began to reach for one of the knives. However just as I went to do so Wachowski responded in kind, his eyebrow arching. “Stand down! Whoever the hell you are,” he snarled. 

“This is a little unfair now isn’t it?” I shrugged faintly as I continued to listen to the cries from the bot that was being seemingly tortured by the creature. However it appears that the hedgehog stopped to watch the fight. “I am unarmed.” I outstretched my arms and took a few steps towards him.

“Back off, or I will have no choice but to fire,” Tom responded in kind and I paused for a second, wishing that he could see the look on my face. I did however take another step forward and after he fired a few shots at my chest I fell backwards. 

The pain fired through me, I am sure that I would be feeling those bruises tomorrow. Perhaps a broken rib at the worst. However I managed to push myself back up to my feet. “Do you really think that I would be that stupid?” I was suddenly grateful for the way that the helmet altered my voice, I am sure that Maddie would be close behind him after all. The last thing I would want is for her to get caught up in this. 

“Who the hell are you?” he asked. “And why do you have one of those damn-”

“I am Obsidian, and that little rat stole something from me and I plan on getting it back. Any more stupid questions Wachowski?” I growled my hands once again leaning over to grab the knives that were there. This was going to have to be like when I was first trained… 

The stupid look on Tom’s face was enough to send me into a fit of rage, sure he looked more confused than anything but I immediately leapt forward. Dodging a few of the shots that were fired at me with ease. I had already shown that I had a kevlar vest, why on earth was Tom still trying to shoot me? 

Gritting my teeth I grabbed Tom’s arm and snapped his wrist back, sending the pistol flying through the air and landing on the asphalt. It took me a second to realize that somehow, despite the hole through it, my mechanical arm was still functioning.. For now. A yelp of pain came from the sheriff’s mouth as he looked at me with fire in his eyes. 

Attempting to throw a punch at me with his good hand, I grabbed it with my right quickly twisting the wrist until I heard a crack. It was all too simple really, breaking bones. Especially at the joint. 

This caused a yell of pain to come from my enemy as I landed a swift kick in the back of the knee, of course sending him to the ground. I grabbed the knife from my boot as Tom writhed on the ground. Mostly from the shock of an opponent who wasn’t drunk out of his mind, someone who was actually able to fight back. 

Grabbing the dagger I planted a foot on his chest causing him to be pushed down into the pavement. If only I had the power to incinerate him where he stood. That would change things. Crouching down and applying more pressure I brought the knife up to his throat. “Someone finally worth their salt has-” I felt something kick me in the side of the face. Sending me flying to the ground and skidding along before my back collided with the side of one of the small tourist traps that this town collected like dust. 

Propping myself up so that I was on my knees I shook my head to clear it before turning to look at whatever had struck me. 

“Are you okay Donut Lord?” 

It was the little blue fucker. Pushing myself into the sniper stance I grabbed the other knife that I had stored quickly taking aim and throwing it directly into the leg of the creature. An almost inhuman sound came from it. Which I suppose made sense, as it wasn’t human after all. 

Seeing the rage building up in its green eyes, I struggled to stand up . The bag was clipped to my belt as I had left it. “That was for Surge.” 

The creature was still crying out, I yanked the knife from its leg. Beforehand however I twisted the knife, which would make the wound all the more difficult to heal. I only cocked my head to the left a little. Which was a little sadistic of me. Something that I had willed to never happen to me, despite how encouraged it was during all those months of training… Training to be a ruthless killer. 

“You really should have left that in,” I spoke as I saw the thing start trying to run at me, however once it gained some speed I leapt out of the way, bolting over to Surge. But I was stopped by the two-tailed creature that stood over it. Inspecting the helpless creation. “Get away from it!” I snarled as I smacked the creature in the side of the head, sending it sprawling. I did regret my action however when I saw its ears down looking straight at me. 

“Don’t you touch him! Bionic boy!” The hedgehog finally spoke once again turning to look at me as the blood trickled down its leg. Clearly I had inflicted a good amount of damage as it was both favouring the other leg and having difficulty running. Father would have been proud of me.

This time when the creature charged at me I didn’t have a second to react before I felt another thwack to the side of my face. Followed quickly by what felt like impossibly fast strikes. Ones that once again sent me right into the brick wall. The injury didn’t seem to hinder the creature much, which I found to be puzzling. 

Putting my hand up I tried to block but this creature was after all inhumanly fast and there was no way that I would be able to fight back against this. The visor cracked and I was sent sprawling on the ground. 

“Now, give them back!” it growled, however the high pitch of the voice prevented me from taking it seriously. 

“Why would I? You took something precious from me…. May as well return the favour.” I snarled as I threw a few punches, the best part was of course that I managed to land a couple of them. Not as many as I would have liked, but enough to throw the hedgehog off from its direct hits. 

Behind the creature I caught a glimpse of the titanium white metal rising up behind its head. The difference between that and the blue quills was astonishing. Surge seemed so much more durable than the other Badniks. He was supposed to be my guardian after all. Ivo wouldn’t give me something that was less than the best. 

“Watch your back, speedy.” I took the second of distraction to rush out from the hold that it had me in and allowed Surge to take a few pot shots at the creature. Using lasers instead of the other ammunition. Surge probably was still on the ‘stun’ command, as Ivo did want the creature alive after all. 

Ducking out of the way, I once again ran over to grab one of my knives. I was still hellbent on getting my revenge, revenge on someone who had taken everything from me. My eyes fixated on Tom and I lurched forward before what felt like a semi truck hit me in the chest. 

I remember being told by an astronaut that had come into class one day what it was like to go into space. The weight of an elephant sitting on your chest, she had said. That’s the only thing I could use to describe the feeling that I had as I was thrown back into the brick wall. 

Gasping for breath, it felt as though my entire rib cage had been shattered, and my vision was beginning to spin. I hadn’t even realized that the visor had come clean off during the collision. Surge let out a sort cooing sound as the bag of precious rings was taken from my belt. I wasn’t even able to raise my arm to try to get it back. 

My eyes blinked in rapid succession once my vision was finally starting to come back into focus, and the streetlights seemed so much brighter than they had been before. 

“Alan. Is that you?” 

Maddie. Just the person I was dreading to see here. To find out about who I had become. I wanted to protect her from all of this… 

“Maddie… I...” I tried to catch my breath but it was far too difficult. I would have said something cliche anyways, so perhaps it was a blessing. 

“I can’t believe you.” Tom was still struggling, grasping his arm to his chest, Maddie of course rushing to his aid. “It’s like I don’t even know you anymore.” 

That one comment alone was enough to knock me down harder than even the blue alien had. Did she really mean it? I could see the look in her eyes, the pure hatred… “Maddie,” I began before she stopped me. 

“No. Don’t Maddie me, Alan Stone. You have become something not even I can recognize.” She hissed in a tone that I had never heard before coming from her. She was always so kind…. So gentle, so... “That doctor boyfriend of yours… It’s that whacko. isn’t it?” I could only nod faintly. Despite the fact that I wanted to smack her across the face verbally for that comment. 

“He’s not-” I only let out a cough, feeling my lungs beginning to resist allowing oxygen to enter into them. There was something seriously wrong with me, there was no way that I could just ignore it… But… 

“He isn’t coming back. It’s what he deserves as far as I am concerned, and if I had half a mind I would ask Sonic to send you there as well.” I could see that she was almost in tears. I propped myself up on the wall trying to get myself to stand, however it took a few attempts before I was standing on shaky legs. “Just... Go Alan.” She turned away from me. “I never want to see or hear from you again.” 

“Maddie please-”

“No, Alan! I mean it! Get away from me and my life!” A tear rushed down her cheek. 

“I get the message,” I breathed as I pressed the button on the cylindrical beacon and the bike rushed over to where I was. The nightmare had come to pass, she knew what I had become. Ivo had to still be alive, if he wasn’t… I would have nothing left. 

∞

Limping through the door to the trailer, I collapsed, leaning onto one of the walls as I struggled to bring oxygen back into my lungs. It was as though they were somehow getting smaller and smaller, or all the oxygen was being taken from the air around me.

Surge whistled gently as he leaned up against my other arm for support. The hole blown in my mechanical one wasn’t really bothering me all too much, although it did make things a little difficult when I tried to use it… 

I attempted to walk again, I probably would have collapsed a few times if not for Surge keeping me upright. I shut my eyes as the pain rushed through me wave after wave. After a slow trek I finally made it to the bedroom and flopped down onto the bed. 

My breathing finally got a little easier, I closed my eyes and pulled the helmet off. 

It made a hollow clang as it fell to the ground. My eyes shut as another wave of pain rushed through my body.

Taking in a shaky breath I could feel the tear running down my cheek. Just like when I had been held down… Tortured… Called unspeakable names. 

I could feel Surge right beside me, hovering and making a sound that I never would have expected. It sounded like an imitation of a cats purr. The sound that the animal made when contented, as well as when the animal was in pain, or someone they cared about was in pain. 

I reached out my hand and patted the bot with a slight smile on my face, even through the strain. My arm flopped back onto the ground. “I don’t know what I am going to do.. I.. lost everything.” 

Wanting to do anything to numb the pain I reached into my jacket to pull something out. One of a handful of the little gold rings that I had placed in the interior pocket. Slowly picking one up with my right hand I brought it up so I was looking through it. The gold shimmered as I tilted the ring back and forth, the light bouncing every which way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the epilogue is coming, and no I will not make you wait until next week for it.  
> Depending on when I can get it re written of course.


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a lot longer than I thought it would be... Whoops?

Ivo would have killed me had I admitted to loving mushrooms. We actually had a plate of stuffed mushroom caps on our first date. Rather I had them, almost mindlessly taking one after the other until the small plate was empty. Causing me to apologize profusely. But he might not remember that kind of trivial information.. Though it was a milestone for us after-

My breath hitched, slowly over the course of walking the last little my lungs had started burning in contempt. The uneven ground of the wild landscape not helping. The tall fungi were looming over my head, threatening to crush me. And my ribcage felt as though it already was crushed. The burning sensation slowly developed into a sharp pain that only got worse when I tried to breathe in. 

After a failed attempt to stumble over a dense patch of the fungi I had to stop to catch my breath. But upon kneeling down, the sensation increased. As though some kind of a snake were wrapping its body around my chest. 

Surge was overhead and made a whirr sound, looking straight at me. Pausing for a second it got down to my level as I clutched at my chest. I was gasping for air, it was as though all of the oxygen in the atmosphere had been replaced with needles and I was trying to get them down. 

I collapsed to the ground, finally unable to keep myself steady. I just lay on my side, arms still wrapped around my chest as though that would make the pain go away. I raised my hand up in an attempt to reach out to the bot before the edges of my vision went dark. 

∞

The battery died. Hope was dwindling. I clutched onto the container with the solitary blue quill that I still had from that blasted rodent. This and this alone was my last chance of getting back home. Back to… No. There is no point in thinking about him, it's been weeks and he still hasn’t come for me. Perhaps he has given up, out of character sure but-

I stopped dead in my tracks. What… what on this blasted mushroom planet could that be? 

Instinctively I raised my arm to speak into the recorder, however I just groaned and rolled my eyes with frustration. I should have listened when Stone suggested having some kind of solar energy panel, but of course my ego refused to allow me to admit that maybe he had a good idea. 

Now that my vision was focused in the general direction, I saw what had caught my attention clearly. 

A flare. 

An SOS flare. Not just any flare either, it was one that was most certainly from a Badnik. I could see the signature in the way that it moved and exploded. 

Breaking out into a full blown sprint, I dropped everything that I had on me, except of course the quill, there was no way that I was going to go anywhere without it. I had been carrying itas a cruel reminder of my own failure. 

Once I saw the black mass splayed out on the ground, I managed to run even faster. It couldn’t be. I must have been imagining things again, those psychedelic mushrooms that I had eaten once sure had serious after effects. 

When I got close enough to see what it was I remained at my breakneck pace. It couldn’t be…. I must be hallucinating. However, the scrapes against my lower legs from not watching where I was going told me otherwise.

Alan had come for me. 

Kneeling down next to him, I saw he looked pale. “Alan,” I spoke trying to get his attention as I reached out, still unable to touch him... If this was a hallucination I didn’t want it to end, I wanted to hold the cruel belief that he was here. That he had scarified everything to come find me. 

Working up the courage, I reached out and touched the side of his face. It was really him, he was here… with me. “Alan,” I spoke with more certainty. “Alan!” His eyes fluttered open for a brief second but they closed as he let a breath escape his lips. 

I brought my hand down to his, slowly intertwining our fingers. I never thought that I would feel his skin again. However he was slightly clammy, there was clearly something wrong with him. The Agent Stone that I knew wouldn’t collapse. 

Looking up, I heard a sound that could only be described a purring. It was the Bandnik that I had assigned to look after Alan, it had not just listened but also began to learn from his time with my lover. “Nice work, little one.” 

My attention turning back to Alan, I could see that he was struggling to breathe. Never in my life had I wished that I was a medical doctor. I was perfectly happy looking after my machines rather than tending to people. But seeing Alan struggling to breathe, I wanted to be able to help him properly. 

“Stay with me... Please,” I pleaded with him. Using the remainder of my strength I gently took the limp body of Alan in my arms. He was so weak, I could even feel him trembling alongside the groan of pain that he let out once I manage to get him secured in my embrace. Desperation was beginning to seep through to my core. “How do I get back little one?” I demanded. 

The Badnik zipped up and down before picking up one of a handful of golden rings that were laying on the ground. The creature had used… That’s what he used to bring me to this god forsaken place. Which means I could use them to get back. 

Carefully adjusting the body in my arms as I felt his sputtering breaths I grabbed the ring from the Badnik. “Earth, hospital” I wasn’t positive how they worked, so vocalizing my command seemed to make the most sense. 

The portal opened as it had done the times before. I felt it strange that this time I wasn’t going to be traveling through it with my prototype. But I was going to be going through it with Alan in my arms. “Let’s go home.” 

Eyes rolling about as he lay curled in my arms, I suddenly saw that he stopped breathing. My breath hitched and I leapt through the portal. The hallway was empty and immediately my voice became panicked, for the first time in a long time.

“Someone! Help!” My voice echoed throughout the chamber. The bot zipped about every which way. I would have been thrilled that the bot was showing some form of emotion in any other circumstance. 

∞

The way he had spoken my name for the first time, the way he said it tenderly as we lay in bed together... His arms wrapped around me as his hand gently traced over my scar. All of the moments that we had shared. 

_ “I’m not a killer. I don’t de-res programs.”  _

It was as though hearing the framilliar dialogue that brought my mind back to consciousness. 

Slowly I could feel my lungs rising and falling. As though my breathing had become manual. 

In 

Out. 

In 

Out. 

My eyes still remained closed as I heard the sound of the television. The show I had always watched when I was sick was playing and there were only two people in the world that knew about that. One of them must have been sitting in this room. 

I allowed my eyes to flutter open as I soaked in the stark white of the small room. The only colour was coming from the television that showed the familiar scene. My eyes however moved to another figure sitting in an uncomfortable chair. Half asleep, resting with his hand on his chin. 

“I….” I began to speak before I could feel a strange sensation coming from my lungs. However, the faint sound leaving my lips made the figure perk up and look directly at me. 

Within a few seconds a high pitched whistle filled my ears; Surge. Of course. He wouldn't just leave me either. Immediately the bot was hovering right above me. I tried to raise my arm to touch it as I had done previously but I had so little energy that not even that would work. 

Seemingly taking a few moments to realize that my eyes were in fact open he stood up, however there was a loud crash that accompanied it. Whatever he had been working on before drifting off had been sitting in his lap and it fell to the ground. Uncharacteristically, he groaned and didn’t bother picking it up. 

I wanted to raise one of my hands but I looked down to my left. The mechanical arm was gone, which was reasonable given the fact that a hole had been blown through it. 

“Alan… Just relax.” His hand grabbed mine, intertwining our fingers. “That goes for you too, little one”. His eyes were wide with disbelief, as though he would never see me looking at him again. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest as I looked up at him. 

With his other hand he slowly stroked the side of my face, pushing the few strands of hair out of my face that I had neglected to get cut over the last little while. I took a few seconds just looking at him, he had taken some time to clean up, or at least I had assumed he had since he didn’t look too bad at all. 

“What happened to your moustache?” I asked, my breath still ragged. Ivo just laughed a little bit, dropping his hand from the side of my face. 

“I love you so much, you know that Alan?” he spoke, adjusting the way he was sitting on the side of my bed. My eyes however fell back to the television screen as the episode ended, the credits flashing before the next episode appeared right after it with the classic green text. Tron Uprising… 

“ _ Accessing archive data..” _

Ivo turned to look at the screen as well, taking a few seconds to let it all sink in. “It's been playing since you got here. I really cannot understand your fascination with the show… Or the concept at all for that matter.” 

“Thank you for the anniversary present,” I spoke, cutting him off. However the sensation in my lungs wasn’t going away. I wasn’t ready to look down and see what had been done, what that creature had done to me in one single powerful hit...

Slowly getting close to me, Ivo planted a kiss on my forehead. “You weren’t supposed to see that until I got back. But I think it served you well.” 

My skin tingled from the sensation of his lips on it. I never thought that I would feel that again. “I was so scared when you left, they wanted me to forget about you. I couldn’t do that, Ivo, I love you. I love you so-”

He cut me off when he kissed me. The bristles from the haphazardly cut mustache tickling my face as he did so, but it's not like it wasn’t an enjoyable experience. I rubbed my thumb over his knuckle gently as he kissed me, ensuring that he didn’t put any pressure onto my ribcage. 

“I love you too Alan….” He paused for a second. “I knew you would come for me.” 

I smiled faintly, feeling the oxygen tubes on my face, the two that were planted in my nose that kept me breathing. “What happened to me?” 

“That blue devil must have done something, broke several of your ribs. Two of which caused your lungs to collapse.” I could see the fear in his eyes. Something that I had only seen when he woke up from one of the nightmares that he had often. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” I responded as I reached up with my hand and placed it on his shoulder. “I'm here now Ivo, and I swear that I will never leave you.” 

The two of us just stayed there for a while, Ivo getting comfortable and laying down beside me on the bed. Carefully wrapping his arms around me. Surge just stayed close, hovering around the room as though it were continuing to inspect everything. I would have been surprised if Surge hadn’t already surveyed the room plenty of times to ensure that I would be safe. 

I did however find it a little strange that no one else had entered the room. Maybe he had scared off the other doctors. It wouldn’t be surprising.

“What were you working on?” I asked sleepily as I turned my head to look at him. Attempting to relax into his embrace, which was a little difficult when I could feel the two tubes protruding from my lungs. 

Making eye contact with me, Ivo spoke again “Whomever gave you that pathetic excuse for an arm should have their degree in robotics revoked. That's all I will say on the matter.” 

I laughed for a few seconds until my lungs began to throb in response. The fact that I was unable to laugh was going to have to take the cake for the most irritating aspect of all of this. Despite that, the moment that I had been given the arm I knew that he was going to say something like that. 

Once again silence fell between the two of us, I could tell that Ivo was much more than just sleep deprived. I am sure that he had been working on the new arm for a while as well as worrying about me on top of all of that. I wonder how many times (if at all) the hospital staff kicked him out for being here past visiting hours. 

Drifting in and out of sleep as the sounds of a television show I had come so accustomed to listening to began to lull me back into the comforts of my dreams, I finally snapped into reality as I remembered the last time I had been in the hospital….Walters. 

“He will come… I know he wants me back.” My fear was palpable as Ivo propped himself up, looking at me with his brow furrowed. He was confused and I suppose he did have the right to know this. I hadn’t had the time to explain anything to him.

“Who? What’s the matter? ” He became more and more frantic the longer it took for me to get the words to form. 

“Walters. He. I...” I couldn’t speak. Fear was rushing through me. If he knew that I had brought back Ivo I didn’t know what he was going to do to me. Let alone what they would do to him. I couldn’t bear being split up from him. Not again. 

“Hey hey... Alan. Take a deep breath okay? You are still sick and this panic isn’t going to help you heal,” he spoke, his voice still remaining calm, in character for him even in this situation. “There is no way that complete and utter idiot is going to find you. Do you know who you are talking to?” 

“Yes... but he probably-”

“- has the name ‘Stone’ flagged over the entire country. You insult me if you think that I hadn’t thought of that.” He paused for a second, as he did before he was about to lay how intelligent he was right onto me. “Since it took so long for someone to come to my aid I could only assume that the government had brushed me under the rug. Attempting to rob me of my technology that I had hidden away.” He paused for a second, once again pushing the hair out of my face “But you still came after me. I could only deduce that you had done it against orders, perhaps quitting your job to do so… If of course I was worth that to you.” 

I was almost aghast with the idea that he would even think that I wasn’t worth something like that to him. “I was willing to fight that nuisance of a hedgehog to bring you back,” I spoke. 

I knew that he had only said that because of the way he had been treated. He had never believed that he was worthy of love. There was something about the orphan who had been forgotten about that made me believe that it might take a long time before he had faith in how much I loved him. 

“So... I took the liberty and...” He stopped mid sentence. Hesitation, something that I had never seen him do in all the years that we had been both dating and working together. 

“What name did you use?” I asked with genuine curiosity.

“Alan Lee Robotnik.” 

Allowing a smile to cross my features I leaned back into the pillow behind my head and let the name to roll through my mind over and over again. Alan Lee Robotnik… 

“I like it,” I finally spoke. 

Ivo looked up at me with a slight smile pulling at the edges of his features. Once again for another first time thing from him he opened his mouth to speak but not a single word came from it. Instead of just letting him look at me like a codfish (thought I would bring it up with him later) I propped myself up and kissed him. It caused a wave of pain through my body, but it was worth it. 

Bringing our foreheads together, our noses touching, I looked directly into his eyes as he allowed me to sink down into the hospital bed so I was no longer in any kind of pain. “Is that your way of asking me to marry you?” 

“It’s not near as grand as I had wished it would be.” 

“Now tell Me Doctor Ivo Robotnik, what on earth were you thinking could be the ideal way to ask me to marry you?” 

“It involves a new type of Badnik, as well as those people who gave you that nasty scar on your chest.” 

“That's the most romantic thing that I have ever heard.” I put my good hand on the back of his neck. However Ivo pulled out of the embrace and stood up from the hospital bed. I just kinda watched him stride over, the ends of his coattails flowing as they always did. He had changed out of the flight suit. 

Entering the room almost as thought she were queen of the world a friendly looking doctor walked in, her hands clasped together. She stood at the end of the bed picking up the clipboard and studying it carefully. “It’s nice to finally see you awake Alan.” She paused for a second realizing her mistake. “Sorry, your husband and I have been referring to you with your first name to ease the process.” 

I allowed a faint smile to cover my features as I looked over at Ivo who was looming in the back corner, staying in the darkness. He had called me his husband, there was something charming about the way that he had done that. 

“No, that’s fine.” I actually didn’t mind if she used my first name, she seemed lovely enough. 

“My name is doctor Michelle Thompson. I've been taking care of you for the last little while, you have been in a coma for about three weeks since your husband brought you in.” She smiled, looking over at him for a second. “He was quite disheveled, but he refused to leave your side.” She seemed to be envious of the romance that she was watching play out between the two of us. 

“I am very lucky to have someone like Ivo…” I muttered and it must have been louder than I thought as the doctor looked down at the clipboard. 

“You will be discharged once we can get the two tubes out of your lungs and they’re done flushing out the liquid, which should be within the next couple of days.” She turned to look at Ivo with an envious look in her eyes. “Look after him in the meantime.” She strode out of the room not bothering with any of my vitals. I am glad that she had come in to greet me however. 

Taking in a deep breath I looked back over to Ivo as he walked back over to the bed. “You never gave me an answer, Alan.” 

“You need to properly ask me first.” 

Rolling his eyes and knowing that he was going to have to abandon his pride, Ivo stood beside the bed for a second before getting down on one knee. He lacked the usual box in his hand, but it's not like I had a left hand for him to slip the ring onto either. 

“Alan Lee Stone. Will you do me the honour of being my husband?” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for coming on this journey with me. It's been exciting telling this story and I hope that you all have enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.


End file.
